Original Communication
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2005) 59, 480–488. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602097 Published online 19 January 2005
Prevalences of hyperhomocysteinemia, unfavorable cholesterol profile and hypertension in European populations
Guarantor: A de Bree.
Contributors: AdB and NMJvdP were responsible for the study concept. AdB collected the data, performed the statistical analyses, and wrote the article. All contributors were responsible for critical revision of the manuscript and delivered important input for the content.
A de Bree1, N M J van der Put1, L I Mennen2, W M M Verschuren3, H J Blom4, P Galan2, C J Bates5, W Herrmann6, M Ullrich6, J Dierkes7, S Westphal7, L M Bouter8, R J Heine8, C D A Stehouwer8, J M Dekker8, G N Nijpels8, F Araújo9, L M Cunha-Ribeiro9, H Refsum10, S Vollset10, O Nygard10 and P M Ueland10
- 1Unilever Health Institute, Unilever Research and Development Vlaardingen, the Netherlands
- 2Scientific and Technical Institute of Nutrition and Food, UMR U557 INSERM/U1125 INRA, ISTNA-CNAM, Paris, France
- 3National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
- 4University Hospital St Radboud, Laboratory of Pediatrics and Neurology, University Hospital Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- 5Elsie Widdowson Laboratory, MRC Human Nutrition Research, Cambridge, UK
- 6Central Laboratory, Department of Clinical Chemistry, University of Saarland, Homburg/Saar, Germany
- 7Medizinische Fakultät, Institut für Klinische Chemie und Pathobiochemie, Otto von Guericke Univesität, Magdeburg, Germany
- 8EMGO Institute, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- 9Department of Transfusion Medicine and Blood Bank, Molecular Biology Centre, Hospital S João, Porto, Portugal
- 10Locus for Homocysteine and Related Vitamins, Armauer Hansen Hus, University of Bergen, Norway
Correspondence: A de Bree, Unilever Health Institute, Unilever Research & Development Vlaardingen, Olivier van Noortlaan 120, 3133 AT Vlaardingen, the Netherlands. E-mail: angelika-de.bree@unilever.com
Received 12 March 2004; Revised 30 July 2004; Accepted 25 October 2004; Published online 19 January 2005.
Abstract
Background
Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHCY) is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). HHCY may interact with hypertension (HTEN) and an unfavorable cholesterol profile (UNFAVCHOL) to alter the risk of CVD.
Objectives
To estimate the prevalences of HHCY (1) isolated and (2) in combination with UNFAVCHOL and/or HTEN in different age categories. To provide information that may improve the screening and treatment of subjects at risk of CVD.
Design
Cross-sectional data on 12 541 men and 12 948 women aged 20+ y were used from nine European studies.
Results
The prevalence of isolated HHCY was 8.5% in subjects aged 20–40 y, 4.7% in subjects aged 40–60 y and 5.9% in subjects aged over 60 y. When combining all age groups, 5.3% had isolated HHCY and an additional 5.6% had HHCY in combination with HTEN and/or UNFAVCHOL. The combinations of risk factors increased with age and, except for HHCY&UNFAVCHOL, were more prevalent than predicted by chance. Of the young subjects (20–40 y), 24% suffered from one or more of the investigated CVD risk factors. This figure was 75.1% in the old subjects (60+ years).
Conclusions
A substantial number of subjects in selected European populations have HHCY (10.9%). In half of these cases, subjects suffer also from other CVD risk factors like UNFAVCHOL and HTEN. Older people in particular tend to have more than one risk factor. Healthcare professionals should be aware of this when screening and treating older people not only for the conventional CVD risk factors like UNFAVCHOL and HTEN but also HHCY, as this can easily be reduced through increased intake of folic acid via supplement or foods fortified with folic acid.
Keywords:
homocysteine, cholesterol, blood pressure, risk factors, vascular disease
