Association of plasma @entity1255 concentration with atherosclerotic carotid plaques and XXXX .

@entity1 @entity66 @entity1255 @entity2998 @entity1188 @entity385
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Higher plasma total @entity1255 (tHcy) levels have been associated with @entity2998 and @entity385 in whites. However, data regarding such associations are limited for Asians. This study examined associations between tHcy levels and severity of @entity2998 in Japanese subjects. Additionally, because @entity1188 is the most prevalent type of @entity385 in Japan, we also investigated its associations with tHcy levels. METHODS: The subjects were 152 Japanese @entity1 (age, 66.2+/-11.0 years) at our hospital. Using ultrasound, we evaluated severity of @entity2998 by plaque score, which is defined by the sum of all plaque (intima-media thickness > or =1.1 mm) height in bilateral carotid arteries. In 112 of 152 @entity1 , the existence of @entity1188 was evaluated on brain MRI scans. RESULTS: A moderate linear association was found between tHcy levels and plaque score (r=0.48, P<0.0001). Moreover, tHcy level was associated with plaque score (beta=0.26, P<0.001) independently of traditional atherosclerotic risk factors. In logistic regression analyses, each 1-micromol/L-higher tHcy level was associated with a 1.37-fold-higher [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.19 to 1.58] likelihood for @entity1188 , increasing the likelihood by 1.22-fold (95% CI, 1.04 to 1.43) independently of traditional atherosclerotic risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Higher tHcy levels appear to have associations with increased severity of @entity2998 and prevalent @entity1188 in the Japanese. Larger prospective studies are necessary to establish whether higher tHcy levels serve as a harbinger for insidious carotid and @entity66 .
