Background: Plasma homocysteine is a risk factor for peripheral arterial disease.
Methods: In a cross-sectional study design we investigated the association between plasma homocysteine, vitamin B12 and folate concentrations, and the prevalence of peripheral arterial disease in 158 men and 362 women, mean age 81 +/- 8 years.
Results: Univariate analysis showed that plasma homocysteine, vitamin B12 (inverse association) and folate (inverse association) concentrations and increased plasma homocysteine and low or indeterminate vitamin B12 concentrations were risk factors for peripheral arterial disease in older men and women. Stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis showed that significant independent risk factors for peripheral arterial disease were a greater value of plasma homocysteine (P = 0.0001; odds ratio = 1.125) and a low value of plasma folate (P = 0.0001; odds ratio = 0.709).
Conclusions: High plasma concentrations of homocysteine and low plasma concentrations of folate are significant independent risk factors for peripheral arterial disease in older men and women.