Early determination of homocysteine levels in acute coronary syndromes, is it an independent prognostic factor?

Introduction Increased concentrations of homocysteine (tHcy) are considered a potentially modifiable risk factor for coronary heart disease. The relationship between plasma homocysteine and prognosis has been less well studied. The aim of this study was to examine a possible relationship between the homocysteine levels in admission and all cause mortality in subjects presenting with non-ST segment elevation (NSTE) acute coronary syndrome. Methods We studied 854 patients with suspected NSTE acute coronary syndrome admitted consecutively to our institution, tHcy was determined at a median of 3 days from enrolment and was analyzed in tertiles together with classical risk factors and other biochemical markers. The primary end point was all cause mortality at 1 year follow-up. Results There were 86 deaths in the upper 2 tertiles (≥10.1 mmol/L). The events registered in the lower tertile of admission homocysteine concentration were 12 deaths. Therefore, tHcy values over 10 μmol/l increases the posibility of long term all cause mortality after an NSTE acute coronary syndromes (HR 2.5). This is independent of other prognostic factors as important as age, cardiovascular risk factors, congestive heart failure or creatinine levels at arrival. This is the first study that shows the tHcy prognostic value with independece of the acute phase reactants. Conclusion Determination of plasmatic levels of tHcy in the acute phase of a NSTE acute coronary syndrome is a useful tool in the prognostic stratification, independently of classical risk markers (age, cardiovascular risk factors, heart failure, troponin peak) of acute phase reactants and of creatinine obtained at arrival.