Homocysteine and carotid intima-media thickness in a german population: lack of clinical relevance.

Background and Purpose-Common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA IMT) is a predictor of stroke. This study aimed to analyze whether homocysteine (Hcys) metabolism influences CCA IMT. Methods-We analyzed the association of personal, clinical, and biochemical data (multivariate analysis) and of 9 polymorphisms involved in Hcys metabolism (ANOVA) with CCA IMT in 714 individuals of 187 families. Results-CCA IMT was significantly predicted by age, sex, creatinine levels, lipoprotein(a) levels, pack-years of smoking, the presence of hypertension, and the presence of diabetes mellitus but not by Hcys levels. Homozygosity for the T allele of the polymorphism methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase c.677C > T was significantly associated with higher Hcys levels but not with a higher CCA IMT. Conclusions-These data do not support the thesis that elevated Heys levels are causally involved in cerebrovascular disease.