Issue 122 Item 15 Insulin Raises Homocysteine Levels

Overweight children with high levels of the hormone insulin in their blood are also likely to have high levels of homocysteine. Homocysteine is a substance that appears to raise the risk of heart disease, stroke, and birth defects, as well as possibly other adverse effects as well.

In addition, these children and adolescents appear to have lower levels of folate, a vitamin that can lower homocysteine levels.

The combination of elevated homocysteine and reduced folate could put these children at increased risk for developing heart disease, explain researchers from the University of Graz in Austria, who studied the link in 84 children and adolescents.

"The implication of our finding might be that reduction of cardiovascular risk factors (such as) body fat and insulin–by dieting and/or physical activity–might improve homocysteine metabolism," that according to Dr. Siegfried Gallistl, the study’s lead author. He also noted that that insulin appears to inhibit enzymes that play a role in homocysteine metabolism.

Insulin is the hormone responsible for getting glucose (sugar) in the blood into cells throughout the body to use as fuel. The cells of people with type 2 diabetes do not respond adequately to insulin. As a result, levels of both glucose and insulin in the blood remain high.

"Our study demonstrates for the first time that insulin is a main correlate of homocysteine in obese children and adolescents and suggests that (high insulin) may contribute to impairment of homocysteine metabolism in childhood obesity," the researchers conclude. Diabetes Care 2000;23:1348-1352