Distribution of total serum homocysteine and its association with parental history and cardiovascular risk factors at ages 12-16 years: The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

PURPOSE: To describe the distribution and to assess the association of serum total homocysteine (tHcy) concentration with variables associated with insulin resistance syndrome in adolescent boys and girls. METHODS: In the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, adolescents aged 12 to 16 years (n = 941) had parental medical history ascertained and glycated hemoglobin, systolic blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), body fat distribution, HDL cholesterol, and serum tHcy concentrations were measured. RESULTS: Cumulative distribution of serum tHcy in boys was shifted to the right compared with that in girls. A parental history of high blood pressure or stroke before age 50 was significantly positively associated with the subjects' log serum tHcy after adjustment for confounders (beta 0.156, p = 0.003). Log serum tHcy was significantly positively associated with systolic blood pressure in boys after adjustment for confounders (beta = 0.21, p = 0.03). Log serum tHcy was not significantly associated with glycated hemoglobin percent or most other risk factors other than age. Log serum tHcy concentration showed borderline significant (r = -0.15, P = 0.044) inverse association with BMI in girls. CONCLUSION: tHcy was associated with parental history of high blood pressure or stroke before age 50 and with systolic blood pressure in adolescent boys. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.