Plasma Homocysteine Distribution and Its Association With Parental History of Coronary Artery Disease in Black and White Children

Background —Elevated homocysteine is associated with increased risk for coronary artery disease (CAD) in adults, but its distribution in children is not well documented. We examined the distribution of homocysteine in children and its relation to parental history of CAD. Methods and Results —A subsample of 1137 children (53% white, 47% black) aged 5 to 17 years in 1992 to 1994 examined in the Bogalusa Heart Study (n=3135), including all with a positive parental history of CAD (n=154), had plasma homocysteine levels measured. Homocysteine correlated positively with age ( r =0.16, P =0.001). No race or sex differences in homocysteine levels were observed; geometric mean (GM) levels were 5.8 μmol/L (95% CI, 5.6 to 6.1) among white males, 5.8 μmol/L (95% CI, 5.5 to 6.0) among white females, 5.6 μmol/L (95% CI, 5.4 to 5.8) among black males, and 5.6 μmol/L (95% CI, 5.4 to 5.9) among black females. Children with a positive parental history of CAD had a significantly greater age-adjusted GM homocysteine level (GM, 6.7 μmol/L; 95% CI, 6.4 to 7.1) than those without a positive history (GM, 5.6 μmol/L; 95% CI, 5.4 to 5.7); this relation was observed in each race-sex group. Conclusions —Higher homocysteine levels were observed among children with a positive family history of CAD. Additional studies should elucidate the contribution of genetic, dietary, and other factors to homocysteine levels in children.