Objectives: The purpose of this study is to determine the reference of plasma total homocysteine levels from a Turkish population and to investigate the relationship of plasma total homocysteine levels with sex and age groups.
Design and methods: Plasma total homocysteine levels were measured in 2257 Turkish individuals (1381 men and 876 women) aged 1-90 years. Plasma total homocysteine concentrations were determined using high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detector.
Results: The mean plasma total homocysteine level was significantly higher in men (mean, 10.6 micromol/L) than in women (mean, 8.7 micromol/L), P < 0.001. The mean plasma total homocysteine levels for the 1-10, 11-20, 21-30, and 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, and 61-70, 71-80, 81-90 age groups, were 6.5, 9.6, 10.1, and 10.4, 10.5, 10.9, and 11.3, 12.7, 14.6 miromol/L in men and 7.1, 7.6, 7.5, and 7.8, 8.7, 9.4, and 10.3, 11.2, 13.3 micromol/L in women, respectively.
Conclusions: These data indicate the significance of sex- and age-associated differences of plasma total homocysteine levels in Turkish subjects. Plasma total homocysteine levels were increasing with age and men were found to have higher levels than women, as is found in other populations.