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Effect of methionine loading on pulse wave analysis in elderly volunteers

¹ Division of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
² Guys, King’s and St Thomas’ School of Medicine, King’s College, CARU, King’s College Hospital, London, UK

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr SR Hart
Bramwell Dott Building, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK; sh{at}skull.dcn.ed.ac.uk

Objective: To test the hypothesis that an acute increase in plasma homocysteine produced by methionine is associated with an acute increase in pulse wave velocity.

Design: A double blind, cross over, placebo controlled design was used and pulse wave velocity, plasma homocysteine, total cholesterol: high density lipoprotein ratio, plasma triglyceride, oxidised low density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations, apolipoproteins A1 and B, and C reactive protein were measured between 12.5 and 20 hours after methionine loading or placebo.

Results: Between 12.5 and 20 hours after exposure to a methionine loading test, arterial pulse wave velocity showed no significant difference compared with placebo. At 12 hours after exposure to the methionine loading test, in the presence of a controlled diet, triglyceride concentration significantly increased by 32.6% (p<0.02), cholesterol: high density lipoprotein ratio increased significantly by 22.5% (p<0.05) compared with placebo. Simultaneously, systolic blood pressure increased significantly by 4.9% (p<0.02).

Conclusion: In elderly volunteers, acute hyperhomocysteinaemia induced by methionine loading resulted in no overall significant delayed reduction in peripheral arterial distensibility. A significant deterioration in the lipid profile and increased blood pressure was seen during acute hyperhomocysteinaemia.

Abbreviations: PWV, pulse wave velocity; HDL, high density lipoprotein; LDL, low density lipoprotein; CRP, C reactive protein; Apo, apolipoprotein

Keywords: blood pressure; cardiovascular risk; cholesterol:HDL ratio; lipid profile; methionine