Relação da homocisteinemia com a sensibilidade à insulina e com fatores de risco cardiovascular em um grupo indígena brasileiro

ABSTRACT Relationship of Homocysteine, Insulin Sensitivity and Cardiovascular RiskFactors among the Brazilian Parkateje Indians.Hyperhomocysteinemia is an independent cardiovascular risk factor. Thereare controversies about a possible relation between homocysteine andinsulin resistance/sensitivity. To test the relation between homocysteinemiaand insulin sensitivity, serum total homocysteine concentrations (HPLC) weremeasured in samples from ninety Parkateje Indians (90% of the adult popu-lation, without admixture). Insulin sensitivity (%S) was estimated by HOMA. Adiabetic woman was excluded from the analysis involving glycaemia,insulin, proinsulin, HbA1c and %S. Hyperhomocysteinemia and fasting hyper-insulinemia were found in 26.7% and 25.8% of Indians, respectively. Log-trans-formed (ln) homocysteine was positively correlated with systolic (r= 0.22) anddiastolic (r= 0.21) blood pressure, triglycerides (r= 0.39) and uric acid (r= 0.40),after adjustment for age and sex, but not with insulin, proinsulin and ln %S. Lnhomocysteine was similar among the quartiles of %S and between the sub-jects with and without fasting hyperinsulinemia. Insulin, proinsulin and ln %Swere similar between the subjects with and without hyperhomocisteinemia.Correlations between variables related to cardiovascular risk wereobserved, but not between these variables and insulin or ln %S. Perhaps thisfinding could be a peculiar characteristic of this group. In conclusion, the