Factors Related to Plasma Homocysteine Concentration in Young Adults: A Retrospective Study Based on Checkup Populations

The distribution profile of plasma homocysteine (Hcy) in young adults and its related factors are not well understood. We performed a generalized estimating equations (GEE) analysis for plasma-Hcy-correlated factors in 2436 young adults, aged 20-39 years, from a health checkup population. We observed that the mean Hcy concentration in males (16.7 ± 10.3 μmol/L) was significantly higher than that in females (10.3 ± 4.0 μmol/L), and hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) prevalence in males was 5.37 times than that in females (33.3% vs. 6.2%). A GEE analysis stratified by sex indicated that age (B = -0.398, < 0.001) and LDL-C (B = -1.602, = 0.043) were negatively correlated, while BMI (B = 0.400, = 0.042) was positively correlated, with the Hcy level in young males. ALT (B = -0.021, = 0.033), LDL-C (B = -1.198, < 0.001) and Glu (B = -0.446, = 0.006) were negatively correlated, while AST (B = 0.022, = 0.048), CREA (B = 0.035, < 0.001), UA (B = 0.004, = 0.003) and TG (B = 1.042, < 0.001) were positively correlated, with the Hcy level in young females. These results suggest that young males have a significantly higher plasma Hcy level and HHcy prevalence than young females; therefore, more attention should be paid to the reason for and effect of the higher HHcy prevalence in young males.