Homocysteine level in CAD patients of Iranian population

Correspondence: Seyed Hesameddin Abbasi MD, Research Department, Tehran Heart Center, North Kargar Street, Tehran, Iran. Tel: +98 9121575226 Fax: +98 21 88029256 E-mail: abbasi@tehranheartcenter.org Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is emerging as a major public health concern in most developing countries. Several studies showed that elevated plasma homocysteine level is a risk factor for CAD. The present study was conducted to determine the level and reference intervals of plasma homocysteine in CAD patients and normal individuals in a selected Iranian population. Patients and Method: Total plasma homocysteine concentration in 100 patients with CAD and 100 normal controls were measured using homocysteine measuring kit by Elisa method. Result: Plasma homocysteine concentration was significantly raised in Iranian CAD cases compared to the normal control (15.56 versus 11.51, p<0.05). Reference intervals were 7.8-16.1 �mol��. Conclusion: An increase in plasma homocysteine concentration can be considered a major risk factor for CAD in selected Iranian population.