Journal of the Formosan Medical Association
Volume 109, Issue 4 , Pages 278-286, April 2010

Lack of Association Between Total Serum Homocysteine and Extracranial Cerebral Flow

  • Yu Sun

      Affiliations

    • Department of Neurology, En Chu Kong Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Institute of Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Chien-Jung Lu

      Affiliations

    • Department of Neurology, En Chu Kong Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Rong-Chi Chen

      Affiliations

    • Department of Neurology, En Chu Kong Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Kuo-Liong Chien

      Affiliations

    • Institute of Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence to: Dr Kuo-Liong Chien, Institute of Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan

Received 3 March 2009; received in revised form 31 May 2009; accepted 17 July 2009.

Article Outline

Background/Purpose

High homocysteine (Hcy) concentration is associated with slow coronary flow. This study examined the association between Hcy and hemodynamic status in the extracranial cerebral arteries in healthy individuals.

Methods

A total of 535 healthy adults underwent physical examination and duplex ultrasonography of the extracranial carotid and vertebral arteries, and blood laboratory tests, including biochemistry and serum total Hcy. Flow hemodynamic parameters including velocity, resistance, and volume of the carotid and vertebral arteries were measured. Multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the association between Hcy and the flow parameters.

Results

Participants with higher Hcy were more likely to have a lower systolic velocity of the internal carotid artery (p = 0.01) and vertebral artery (p < 0.001), and lower resistance of the vertebral artery (p = 0.004). However, the multiple-adjusted means of the flow velocity, resistance, and flow volume of the carotid or vertebral artery were not significantly different across quartiles of Hcy. When Hcy was treated as a continuous variable, there was still no significant relationship between Hcy levels and the aforementioned hemodynamic status.

Conclusion

Our results did not support the hypothesis that the levels of Hcy are associated with the flow velocity, resistance, and volume of the extracranial cerebral artery in healthy individuals.

Key Words:  blood flow velocity , carotid artery , vertebral artery Doppler duplex ultrasonography , homocysteine

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PII: S0929-6646(10)60053-8

doi:10.1016/S0929-6646(10)60053-8

Journal of the Formosan Medical Association
Volume 109, Issue 4 , Pages 278-286, April 2010

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