Table 1.
Characteristics of the autopsy population according to homocysteine values
| Characteristics | Homocysteine ≤20 µmol/l n = 154 | Homocysteine >20 µmol/l n = 111 | P-value | No. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age at baseline, years | 88.4 (2.8) | 88.9 (3.2) | 0.15 | 265 |
| Age at death, years | 92.6 (3.3) | 92.6 (3.9) | 0.93 | 265 |
| Duration of follow-up, years* | 3.7 (2.3–6.0) | 3.3 (1.6–5.5) | 0.06 | 265 |
| Females, n (%) | 130 (84.4) | 91 (82.0) | 0.60 | 265 |
| Baseline cardiovascular conditions, n (%) | 117 (76.0) | 90 (81.1) | 0.32 | 265 |
| APOE4 allele, n (%) | 49 (31.8) | 33 (29.7) | 0.72 | 265 |
| Living in institution at baseline, n (%) | 53 (34.6) | 48 (43.2) | 0.16 | 264 |
| Mini-Mental State Examination score at baseline* | 20.5 (9.3–25.0) | 18 (11–24) | 0.39 | 260 |
| Dementia at baseline, n (%) | 63 (40.9) | 50 (45.0) | 0.50 | 265 |
| Dementia at death, n (%) | 99 (64.3) | 70 (63.1) | 0.84 | 265 |
| Use of vitamins, n (%) | 8 (5.2) | 5 (4.5) | 0.80 | 263 |
| Amyloid-β load, n (%) | 0.86 | 265 | ||
| None | 24 (15.6) | 20 (18.0) | ||
| <Median of those with amyloid-β | 66 (42.9) | 45 (40.5) | ||
| >Median of those with amyloid-β | 64 (41.6) | 46 (41.4) | ||
| CERAD score, n (%) | 0.68 | 265 | ||
| None or sparse | 50 (32.5) | 41 (36.9) | ||
| Moderate | 85 (55.2) | 59 (53.2) | ||
| Frequent | 19 (12.3) | 11 (9.9) | ||
| CAA, n (%) | 0.52 | 261 | ||
| None | 47 (30.9) | 33 (30.3) | ||
| <Median of those with CAA | 49 (32.2) | 42 (38.5) | ||
| >Median of those with CAA | 56 (36.8) | 34 (31.2) | ||
| Tangle count, n (%) | 0.56 | 265 | ||
| None | 57 (37.0) | 34 (30.6) | ||
| <Median of those with tangles | 50 (32.5) | 39 (35.1) | ||
| >Median of those with tangles | 47 (30.5) | 38 (34.2) | ||
| Braak stage, n (%) | 0.33 | 265 | ||
| 0–2 | 46 (29.9) | 27 (24.3) | ||
| 3–4 | 69 (44.8) | 60 (54.1) | ||
| 5–6 | 39 (25.3) | 24 (21.6) | ||
| α-Synuclein pathology, n (%) | 47 (32.4) | 33 (30.0) | 0.68 | 255 |
| Cerebral macroinfarcts, n (%) | 85 (55.2) | 58 (52.3) | 0.64 | 265 |
| Cerebral microinfarcts, n (%) | 30 (19.7) | 14 (12.8) | 0.14 | 261 |
| All cerebral infarcts, n (%) | 96 (62.3) | 65 (58.6) | 0.53 | 265 |
Values are mean (standard deviation) or n (%) unless otherwise stated.
*Median (interquartile range), Mann-Whitney U test was used.
The 20 µmol/l cut-off for homocysteine was chosen according to proposed upper reference limit in elderly >65 years without folate supplementation (Refsum et al., 2004).
CAA = cerebral amyloid angiopathy.