Plasma homocysteine--a marker of vascular disease in elderly patients with mental illness.

BACKGROUND

Total plasma homocysteine (tHcy) concentration is elevated in elderly patients with mental illness, and patients with vascular disease have higher plasma tHcy concentration than patients without vascular disease.

METHOD: We investigated the influence of cobalamin/folate status and renal function on the association between plasma tHcy levels and vascular disease.

RESULTS

There was a similar degree of significant difference in plasma tHcy levels between patients with and without vascular disease in all enrolled patients and in a group of patients where all those with signs of cobalamin/folate deficiency and/or impaired renal function had been excluded. Furthermore, logistic regression analysis showed that the age-adjusted plasma tHcy was the main predictor of vascular disease in both groups of patients.

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest that the presence of vascular disease itself is associated with elevated levels of plasma tHcy. Plasma tHcy might be a marker of vascular disease in elderly patients with mental illness.