Homocysteine and Short-term Risk of Myocardial Infarction and Stroke in the Elderly

Abstract

ELEVATED LEVELS of homocysteine have been associated with an increased risk of vascular disease, including myocardial infarction, stroke, and peripheral artery disease. These findings have been obtained in hospital-based studies, as well as cross-sectional and prospective population-based studies.¹ The extant studies have been based on populations that mostly included middle-aged subjects. Therefore, it is not known whether homocysteine level remains an important risk factor for vascular disease with advancing age.