The relation between hyperhomocysteinemia and the intima-media complex thickness in common carotid artery, as risk factors for ischemic stroke

Introduction. Cerebrovascular events are the third most frequent cause of death globally and the most common cause of disability in the general population. There may be other, rarer disorders predisposing to cardiovascular complications, besides traditional risk factors of ischemic stroke, as the data prove, one of them is hyperhomocysteinemia. Aim. Relation between intima-media complex thickness (IMT) and homocysteine level in patients with ischemic stroke. Material and methods. The study group consisted of 32 patients with first-ever ischemic stroke diagnosed. The control group contained of 28 healthy people matched in terms of gender and age. The concentration of homocysteine was measured in the blood serum using the IMX immunoassay ABBOTT analyzer. Evaluation of intima-media thickness of carotid arteries was performed with Sonoline ELEGRA using a 7.5 L 40 line probe at 9 MHz. Results. The average homocysteine concentration in patients with ischemic stroke was 16.55 umol/L. Elevated values of homocysteine were found in 20 patients. In Doppler examination of the carotid arteries, the mean IMT in patients with stroke was 0.88. The correlations between the homocysteine level and the IMT were evaluatedin the control group and in patients with stroke. Conclusions. There is relationship between hyperhomocysteinemia and increased thickness IMT in young patient with ischemic stroke.