PURPOSE: To determine the association of homocysteine with ischemic stroke, considering age, gender, cigarette smoking, hypertension, diabetes and etiology of cerebrovascular disease. METHOD: Transversal analytic observational study of 104 patients with the diagnosis of ischemic stroke and 98 healthy controls had blood homocysteine analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography. Statistics was performed with Student's t and Kruskal-Wallis' tests, analysis of variance, linear regression analysis, logistic regression and Pearson's linear correlation coefficient. RESULTS: Patients had higher values for homocysteine (15.4 ± 11.7 µmol L-1) than controls (10.5 ± 4.2 µmol L-1). Dividing both groups into four groups according to age, significant differences in homocysteine values were found between patients and controls with age 40-49 and 50-59 years. Homocysteine values were significantly higher in patients with hypertension and in those with diagnosis of atherosclerotic cerebrovascular disease. Logistic regression studies showed relationship between atherosclerosis and homocysteine. CONCLUSIONS: Homocysteine is associated with ischemic stroke.
homocysteine; stroke
