Serum Homocysteine as One of the Risk Factors of Cerebral Small Vessel Disease in Chinese Patients

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to determine the risk factors of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) from different variables including serum homocysteine (Hcy) in a group of Chinese patients. Methods: A total of 139 patients with CSVD admitted to the affiliated hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from July 2017 to July 2018 were enrolled. Fifty healthy individuals were selected as controls. According to the diagnostic criteria, the CSVD patients were divided into three groups, namely, lacunar infarction (LI) group (n=59), white matter lesion (WML) group (n=46), and LI+WML group (n=34). The serum Hcy levels of the three groups were observed and compared. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to determine whether a number of variables including serum Hcy level are the risk factors of CSVD. Results: Hypertension, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TGs), fasting blood glucose (FBG), and Hcy were significantly higher in CSVD group than the control group (P < 0.05). The age, gender, SBP, platelet, TG, and Hcy were significantly different between the LI group, WML group, and LI+WML groups (P<0.05). The age and Hcy level of patients in LI+WML group were higher than those of the LI group and WML group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The level of SBP was higher in the LI group than the WML group (P < 0.05). The Hcy level of patients in the LI group was higher than that in the WML group, but there was no significant difference (P > 0.05). The platelet and TG were significantly higher in WML group than LI group and LI+WML group (P < 0.05). Controlling the influence of sex and age, multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the Hcy levels were correlated with the incidence of the CSVD. Conclusion: Serum Hcy level is a risk factor for CSVD. Regular detection of serum Hcy level and timely intervention may effectively prevent and control the occurrence and development of CSVD.