Abstract
AIM: Hyperhomocysteinaemia and the metabolic syndrome are associated with increased cardiovascular risk. We investigated whether there is a link between the metabolic syndrome or its components and homocysteine levels in a population without cardiovascular disease. METHODS: From the population sample of 382 participants (286 females and 96 males) we isolated those reflecting the metabolic syndrome and determined their homocysteine levels. We then evaluated the association of homocysteine with hyperglycaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia, hypercholesterolaemia, hypertension and obesity, using a significance level of p = 0.05. Enzymatic methods were used for all biochemical parameters. RESULTS: We found the statistical relationship between homocysteine and the metabolic syndrome as follows: hyperglycaemia (p = 0.175), hypertriglyceridaemia (p = 0.442), hypercholesterolaemia (p = 0.480), obesity (p = 0.080); and hypertension: systolic pressure (p = 0.002) and diastolic pressure (p = 0.033). CONCLUSION: We found no statistically significant association between baseline plasma homocysteine levels and the metabolic syndrome, except for hypertension.