Assessment of Plasma Total Homocysteine in Patients with Obesity in Nigerian Tertiary Hospital

The objective of this study was to determine the plasma levels of homocysteine and lipid profile in obese and normal body weight patients (controls). The study group consisted of 50 obese patients while the control group had 50 non obese clients. Plasma homocysteine, total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein (LDL - C), High density lipoprotein (HDL - C) and triglycerides (TGs) were measured. The levels of total homocysteine (THCY), T-C, LDL-C, HDL-C and TGs in the obese subgroup were significantly higher than those in the non-obese controls. The elevated levels of HCY and lipid parameters also correspond to elevation of body mass index (BMI) and waist to hip circumference (WHCR) in the obese subjects.