Effect of advanced age on plasma homocysteine levels and its association with ischemic stroke in non-valvular atrial fibrillation

Background Elevated homocysteine (Hcy) has been reported to be associated with cardiovascular events in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients, while the age-related expression pattern of plasma Hcy in AF remains unknown. The study was aimed to investigate the effect of advanced age on plasma Hcy levels and its association with ischemic stroke in non-valvular AF patients. Methods A total of 2562 consecutive patients with non-valvular AF and 535 controls were enrolled and divided into six age groups. Plasma Hcy levels were analyzed among different age groups, and the effect of advanced age on Hcy was investigated. Results Plasma Hcy levels did not show any difference among groups aged below 65 years, while it increased sharply in patients aged 65–74 years and aged over 75 years (15.7 ± 4.6 μmol/L, 17.1 ± 4.9 μmol/L, both P P P = 0.002] and age ≥ 75 years (OR: 2.637, 95% CI: 1.605–4.335, P Conclusions Advanced age was significantly associated with elevated Hcy levels, which may provide a possible explanation for the progressive increase in ischemic stroke especially in elderly AF patients.