HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kim, M. K. Articles by Campos, H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Kim, M. K. Articles by Campos, H.

B Vitamins and Plasma Homocysteine Concentrations in an Urban and Rural Area of Costa Rica

Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health (M.K.K., H.C.), Boston, Massachusetts
Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University (J.M.O., J.S.), Boston, Massachusetts
Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, SOUTH KOREA (M.K.K.)

Address reprint requests to: Hannia Campos, PhD, Department of Nutrition, Room 353A, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115. E-mail: hcampos{at}hsph.harvard.edu

Objective: We studied the association between total plasma homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations and folate, B₁₂, and B₆ status in the urban and rural areas of Costa Rica.

Subjects and Methods: We determined plasma tHcy concentrations and assessed dietary folate, B₁₂ and B₆ intake by a food frequency questionnaire in 462 subjects selected by stratified random sampling in the urban and rural areas of Puriscal, Costa Rica. Plasma folate and vitamin B₁₂ concentrations were measured in women.

Results: THcy concentrations were higher (p < 0.01) in the rural compared with the urban area: 12.0 µmol/L vs. 8.9 µmol/L in men, and women 7.3 µmol/L vs. 5.5 µmol/L in women, respectively. The prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia (greater than 15.0 µmol/L) was twice as high in rural compared with urban men (19.8% vs. 10.8%, p = 0.06) and women (6.6% vs. 3.4%, p = 0.26). Most study subjects (98%) had folate intakes that were less than the recommended 400 µg/day. In women, 31% of those living in the urban area and 40% of those in the rural area had plasma folate concentrations of less than 6.8 nmol/L, an indicator of folate deficiency. In women, age-adjusted mean tHcy concentrations (µmol/L) were higher in the lowest compared with highest quintiles for dietary vitamin B₆ (9.9 vs. 5.4, p < 0.05), B₁₂ (9.2 vs. 4.9, p < 0.01), and folate (7.0 vs. 5.7, p = 0.87). Similar results were found for plasma B₁₂ (9.9 vs. 5.4, p < 0.01) and folate (10.5 vs. 5.0, p < 0.0001).

Conclusions: Residents of the rural area in Puriscal, Costa Rica have higher plasma concentrations of tHcy and lower intake of B vitamins, particularly in women. Because these characteristics are associated with high risk of cardiovascular disease, the efficacy of food fortification program in rural areas should be carefully addressed.

Key words: homocysteine, B vitamins, folate, Hispanic, Costa Rica

This article has been cited by other articles:

				I. Elmadfa and I. Singer Vitamin B-12 and homocysteine status among vegetarians: a global perspective Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2009; 89(5): 1693S - 1698S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Hao, J. Ma, J. Zhu, M. J. Stampfer, Y. Tian, W. C. Willett, and Z. Li High Prevalence of Hyperhomocysteinemia in Chinese Adults Is Associated with Low Folate, Vitamin B-12, and Vitamin B-6 Status J. Nutr., February 1, 2007; 137(2): 407 - 413. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. J. Melanson Dietary Factors in Reducing Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, January 1, 2007; 1(1): 24 - 28. [Abstract] [PDF]