Diabetes Care, Vol 23, Issue 4 524-528, Copyright © 2000 by American Diabetes Association

ARTICLES

Cigarette smoking and plasma total homocysteine levels in young adults with type 1 diabetes

G Targher, L Bertolini, L Zenari, V Cacciatori, M Muggeo, G Faccini and G Zoppini
Division of Internal Medicine, Sacro Cuore Hospital of Negrar, Verona, Italy.

OBJECTIVE: The purposes of this study were to compare plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) levels, a recognized cardiovascular risk factor, in nondiabetic subjects and type 1 diabetic patients, and to evaluate whether chronic cigarette smoking had a deleterious effect on plasma tHcy levels in type 1 diabetic patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Plasma tHcy concentrations were measured in 60 young type 1 diabetic patients without clinical evidence of macroangiopathy and in 30 healthy control subjects who were matched for age, sex, BMI, and smoking habit. RESULTS: Plasma tHcy levels were significantly higher in type 1 diabetic patients than in control subjects (12.5 +/- 4.8 vs. 10.3 +/- 2.2 micromol/l, P = 0.01). After stratification by smoking status, diabetic smokers had values for age, sex, BMI, lipids, creatinine, blood pressure, glycometabolic control, diabetes duration, and microvascular complications that were superimposable on their nonsmoking counterparts. Nevertheless, plasma tHcy levels were markedly elevated in diabetic smokers versus nonsmokers (15.5 +/- 5.7 vs. 10.6 +/- 3 pmol/l, P < 0.0001) in a dose-dependent fashion (P < 0.0001, by analysis of variance when subjects were categorized for the number of cigarettes smoked daily). CONCLUSIONS: Chronic cigarette smoking seems to adversely affect plasma tHcy levels in young adults with type 1 diabetes.
CiteULike    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				F. Wotherspoon, D. W Laight, K. M Shaw, and M. H Cummings Review: Homocysteine, endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress in type 1 diabetes mellitus The British Journal of Diabetes & Vascular Disease, September 1, 2003; 3(5): 334 - 340. [Abstract] [PDF]

				H. Adachi, Y. Hirai, Y. Fujiura, H. Matsuoka, A. Satoh, and T. Imaizumi Plasma Homocysteine Levels and Atherosclerosis in Japan: Epidemiological Study by Use of Carotid Ultrasonography Stroke, September 1, 2002; 33(9): 2177 - 2181. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Targher, L. Zenari, L. Bertolini, G. Falezza, M. Muggeo, and G. Zoppini Plasma Total Homocysteine Levels Are Associated With von Willebrand Factor, Soluble Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1, and Soluble Tumor Necrosis Factor-{alpha} Receptors in Young Type 1 Diabetic Patients Without Clinical Evidence of Macrovascular Complications Diabetes Care, August 1, 2001; 24(8): 1496 - 1497. [Full Text] [PDF]