Plasma homocysteine levels and late outcome after coronary angioplasty

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate a possible relationship between homocysteine levels on admission and late outcome after successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence suggests that mild to moderate elevation of total plasma homocysteine is a graded and potentially modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and death that appears to be largely independent of other traditional risk factors. METHODS: A total of 549 patients were included after successful PCI of at least one coronary stenosis (> or =50%). End points were cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), target lesion revascularization (TLR), and a composite of major adverse cardiac events (MACE). The relationship between homocysteine levels and study endpoints was assessed. RESULTS: After a median (+/- SD) follow-up of 58 +/- 20 weeks, 6 patients died of cardiac death, 14 were diagnosed with a new MI, and 71 underwent repeat TLR. A graded relationship between homocysteine levels (quartiles) and freedom from MACE was found (p = 0.01). Homocysteine levels (+/- SD) were associated with cardiac death (14.9 +/- 1.7 micromol/l vs. 9.6 +/- 4.3 micromol/l, p < 0.005), TLR (10.7 +/- 4.4 micromol/l vs. 9.5 +/- 4.3 micromol/l, p < 0.05), and overall MACE (11.0 +/- 4.4 micromol/l vs. 9.4 +/- 4.3 micromol/l, p < 0.005). These findings remained unchanged after adjustment for potential confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma homocysteine is an independent predictor of mortality, nonfatal MI, TLR, and overall adverse late outcome after successful coronary angioplasty.