Elevated plasma homocysteine in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Elevated plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) concentration has been associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetic individuals independent of conventional risk factors. Available study in Nigerian-Africans is scare. METHODS: Seventy (30 males) and (40 females) type 2 diabetes mellitus, with age mean of 54± 11.52 years were selected for this study and thirty apparently healthy volunteers were included as controls. The biochemical parameters and anthropometric indices were determined using standard procedures. RESULTS: Significant increases were obtained in body weight, body mass index (p less than 0.001) and waist circumference (p less than0.012) when compared with the corresponding control values respectively. The fasting plasma glucose (pless than 0.01), tHcy (p less than 0.02), and triglyceride (p less than 0.03) were significantly higher in the diabetes group when compared with the corresponding control values. The plasma folic acid and vitamin B12 (pless than0.05) were significantly reduced compared to the control values. The tHcy (pless than0.01) was significantly higher in the males when compared with the corresponding female value. Significant decrease was obtained in the plasma triglyceride (p less than 0.003) in the male patients when compared with the female patients. CONCLUSION: Our result showed increased plasma tHcy, triglyceride and waist circumference as well as decreased folic acid and vitamin B12 in type 2 diabetes mellitus. These alterations are risk factors for premature CVD events.

Keywords

• type 2 diabetes
• glucose
• folic acid
• homocysteine
• high density lipoprotein
• cardiovascular disease
• triglyceride
• vitamin b12