Abstract

Aim and scope. Hyperhomocysteinemia (Hcy) is emerging as an independent atherosclerosis risk factor. Physical activity has been associated with lower homocysteine levels in some population studies, especially among elderly subjects. Our aim is to further elucidate the observed association between homocysteine and physical activity in a group of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).
Methods. We included a group of 90 patients with CAD: 58 (64.44%) men and 32 women (35.55%) with a median age of  62±5 years. We divided our group in 3 according to the answer gave to the question ,,Do you engage in any intentional physical activity?’’ The first group (A) included patients who’s answer was no. The other two groups included patients with weekly physical activity of more than 3.5 hours (B), respectively with less than 3,5 hours (C). Fasting plasma Hcy levels were determined from venous blood using automated chemiluminescence immunoassay.
Results. The Hcy values for the total sample ranged from 2.6 to 22.1 μmol/l; the arithmetic-mean plasma level was 11.2±5.4 μmol/l. Hcy levels were higher in males 12.2±5.9 μmol/l compared to females 10.1±4.4 μmol/l; p<0.001. Among the sedentary population (group A), median Hcy levels were significantly higher compared to the physically active participants (group C), a finding which persisted when controlling for sex (11.7 μmol/l vs 10.9 μmol/l for males and 9.7 μmol/l vs 9.1 μmol/l for females, respectively; p=0.01). Conclusions.  We propose physical activity as an alternative approach to reduce Hcy levels without the potential of adversely affecting the development of the atherogenic plaque. Physical activity is an important component of secondary prevention at patients with CAD.