Prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) is high in critically ill patients.
However, the association between serum homocysteine level and outcomes of the
critically ill patients remains unknown. We performed a meta-analysis of cohort
studies to comprehensively evaluate the above association. Relevant cohort
studies were identified by search of electronic databases including PubMed,
Embase, Web of Science, Wanfang, and CNKI from the inception of the databases to
February 5, 2022. A randomized-effect model incorporating the possible
between-study heterogeneity was used to pool the results. Overall, 16 cohorts
with 1663 critically ill patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit
(ICU) were involved in the meta-analysis. Pooled results showed that compared to
non-survivors of the critical illnesses, survivors had significantly lower serum
level of Hcy at ICU admission [mean difference (MD): –3.42
μmol/l, 95% confidence interval (CI): –5.89 to
0.94, p=0.007; I2=86%]. Subgroup analysis showed that
the difference of Hcy between survivors and non-survivors was significant in
Asian patients (MD: –8.17 μmol/l, p<0.001), but
not in non-Asians (MD: 0.30 μmol/l, p=0.62; p for
subgroup difference<0.001). Moreover, meta-analysis with seven cohorts,
all including Chinese patients, showed that HHcy at ICU admission was
independently associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality in critically
ill patients (odds ratio: 2.99, 95% CI: 2.26 to 3.97, p<0.001;
I2=69%). A higher serum level of Hcy at ICU admission may be
associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality in critically ill
patients, particularly in the Chinese population.