Homocysteine status and acute myocardial infarction among Tamilians.

Myocardial infarction is a major consequence of coronary artery disease. Apart from the traditional risk factors of myocardial infarction, recently many reports have suggested that hyperhomocysteinemia plays important role in myocardial infarction. Plasma homocysteine level was determined in 60 myocardial infarction patients and in 35 age matched healthy individuals. Statistically significant differences (p<0.01) were observed in the mean of plasma homocysteine concentrations between the acute myocardial infarction patients (24.59±6.14 mM/L) and in normal healthy individuals (13.73 ±3.54 mM/L). The level of homocysteine in myocardial infarction patients is significantly high (p <0.01) among myocardial infarction patients when compared to that of the controls. The the present study indicates a strong association between plasma homocysteine and acute myocardial infarction among Tamilians, thus implying plasma homocysteine as a possible risk factor for myocardial infarction.