Cardiovascular Fitness Is Negatively Associated With Homocysteine Levels in Female Adolescents

Abstract

Objective: To examine the association between cardiovascular fitness and homocysteine levels in adolescents.Design: Cross-sectional study.Setting: Madrid, Murcia, Granada, Santander, and Zaragoza, Spain.Participants: One hundred fifty-six Spanish adolescents (76 boys and 80 girls) aged (mean ± SD) 14.8 ± 1.4 years.Main Exposures: Cardiovascular fitness was measured by the 20-m shuttle run test. Pubertal stage, birth weight, smoking status, and socioeconomic status were determined, and the sum of 6 skinfold thickness measurements, and serum folic acid and vitamin B 12 levels were measured. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR; 677C>T genotype) polymorphism was done by DNA sequencing.Main Outcome Measure: Fasting homocysteine levels.Results: Mean values of homocysteine were significantly higher in the MTHFR 677CT and TT genotype subgroups compared with the CC genotype subgroup in adolescent boys, whereas in adolescent girls, mean values of homocysteine were significantly higher in the MTHFR 677CT and TT genotype subgroup compared with the CC and CT genotype subgroups. Multiple regression analyses showed that cardiovascular fitness was significantly associated with homocysteine levels in female adolescents after controlling for potential confounders including the MTHFR 677CϾT genotype (␤ = −0.40; semipartial correlation = −0.35; P =.007). No associations were found between cardiovascular fitness and homocysteine levels in male adolescents (␤=0.12; semipartial correlation=0.08; P =.51). Conclusion:The results suggest that cardiovascular fitness is negatively associated with homocysteine levels in female adolescents after controlling for potential cofounders including MTHFR 677CϾT genotype.

Physical fitness in childhood and adolescence: a powerful marker of health

“…48,56,57 The levels of C-reactive protein and C3 were inversely associated with cardiorespiratory fitness in prepubertal children, 48 which is consistent with other studies of young people. [58][59][60] Halle et al 59 reported that interleukin-6 levels were as low for obese and fit as for lean and unfit children, while the highest serum interleukin-6 concentrations were found in the obese and unfit group.…”

“…61 Studies examining the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and homocysteine levels in young people are scarce. We have found conflicting results in Spanish adolescents 50 and Swedish children and adolescents 62 after controlling for different potential confounders including age, puberty, birth weight, smoking, socioeconomic status, skinfold thickness and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase 677C4T genotype. Cardiorespiratory fitness was inversely and significantly associated with homocysteine in female Spanish adolescents, 50 whereas no association was found in Swedish children and adolescents.…”

“…We have found conflicting results in Spanish adolescents 50 and Swedish children and adolescents 62 after controlling for different potential confounders including age, puberty, birth weight, smoking, socioeconomic status, skinfold thickness and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase 677C4T genotype. Cardiorespiratory fitness was inversely and significantly associated with homocysteine in female Spanish adolescents, 50 whereas no association was found in Swedish children and adolescents. 62 These results should encourage discussion on whether the metabolism of homocysteine could be one way in which the benefits of high cardiorespiratory fitness are exerted.…”

“…We have shown that higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness are inversely associated with a healthier cardiovascular profile in children and adolescents. 16,23,[40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54] Results from the AVENA study indicate that high levels of cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with a more favorable metabolic profile (computed from age-and sex-specific standardized values of triglycerides, LDLc, HDLc and fasting glycemia) in both overweight and non-overweight Spanish adolescents ( Figure 3). 52 The same association was also found between cardiorespiratory fitness and the clustering of metabolic risk factors and individual CVD risk factors in Swedish and Estonian children and adolescents participating in the EYHS.…”

What do we know about homocysteine and exercise? A review from the literature

“…But there is also a huge variety in the methodology applied among all the studies, hence, there is difficulty to reach an agreement [5]. Some researchers have demonstrated reduced tHcy concentrations after a training period [12,13]; others have related high PA levels and cardiorespiratory fitness with lower homocysteine concentrations [14,15]. In contrast, some studies have shown higher tHcy concentrations after acute exercise, training period or after a specific sport competition [16][17][18].…”