RESUMEN
Hyperhomocysteinemia is emerging as a prevalent and an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease. There is little known of this emerging risk factor in our own population. The aim of this descriptive study was to have preliminary assessment on the frequency of hyperhomocysteinemia in patients with coronary artery disease. This study was conducted at department of Cardiology, KRL Hospital, Islamabad from May 2002-June 2003. By using florescence polarization immunoassay, fasting homocysteine levels were measured in 50 patients with documented coronary artery disease. Out of these 50 patients, the baseline homocysteine levels were high in 68 percent [34/50] patients [15 umol/L taken as the cut-off value]. The mean homocystenine value was 20.35 umul/L with SD =10.28 umil /l. The average age at the time of diagnosis was 44 years [MY = 49:1]. There is an urgent need for large scale analytical studies to establish the exact role of homocysteine as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease in our population. The findings will have major implications as homocysteine is a potentially modifiable risk factor with little economic burden