Homocysteine and Folic Acid, B12 Levels in a Healthy Turkish Population Sample

Objective: Elevated plasma total homocysteine levels are an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to determine the differences in plasma homocysteine (Hcy), vitamin B12 and folate concentrations among gender and age groups in a healthy Turkish population. Material and Methods: Two hundred and ten healthy males and females between the ages of 1 to 70 living in the Elazig province of Turkey were randomly selected. Plasma Hcy levels were measured with enzyme immunoassay (EIA); vitamin B12 and folate levels were measured with chemiluminesence methods. Results: Plasma Hcy levels elevated with age in both males and females, and the increase was significantly higher in the age group 21-70 than the 1-20 age group (p=0.000). The average plasma Hcy levels were over 15 mmol/L for 150 adults (26%) of the 31-70 age group, and were significantly higher in males than in females for the age group 31-40 (p=0.001). The serum folate and vitamin B12 levels in the age group 1-20 were significantly higher than in the age group 21-70 (p=0.0001), but there were no significant changes in vitamin levels between genders (p>0.05). The association between plasma Hcy and serum vitamin B12 was compared to that of homocysteine and serum folate levels, r= -0.229; p=0.001 and r=-0.346; p=0.000, respectively. Conclusions: Age and gender appear to influence plasma Hcy levels in a healthy Turkish population. Therefore, this may be considered as an important reference value for other populations living in the same country.