Blood Homocysteine Levels in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (Nhanes III) in the United States: Preliminary Findings by Age and Sex

Abstract

Evidence from scores of observational studies from many parts of the world have demonstrated an association between elevated blood total homocysteine levels and the risk of cardiovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, and stroke [1,2]. These conditions are more prevalent in males than in females in virtually all populations studied, and their prevalence increases with advancing age. A much smaller body of data exists that describes an increasing tendency to higher homocysteine levels with increasing age.