Background: Clinical studies showed the association of mild to moderate hyperhomocystinemia not only with coronary artery disease (CAD), but also with stroke and peripheral artery disease.

The aim of study was to assess the relationship between intima media thickness (IMT) measured by B-mode ultrasound and conventional risks factors in families with premature CAD.

Methods: The study population consisted of 40 families with premature CAD. Totally n = 87 subjects were studied. Each family in the cohort has at least one affected sibling with premature CAD. Plasma level of homocysteine, Il-6 and serum lipid profile was measured. All conventional risk factors were analyzed. Carotid and femoral IMT was assessed by high-resolution B-mode carotid ultrasound (GE, 13 MHz). The carotid and femoral IMT was scanned at the near wall 15–20mm proximal to the tip of the flow divider into the common carotid or femoral artery.

Results: A total of 66.6% subjects had increased IMT (>0.09 cm). Plasma levels of homocysteine (10.29±2.64 vs 8.58±2.61, p = 0.006), Il-6 (3.79±6.63 vs 2.30±0.74, p = 0.05), arterial hypertension (56% vs 43%; p = 0.004) and waist circumference (98.33±11.09 vs 91.40±8.45, p = 0.044) were significantly higher in increased IMT group compared with normal IMT group. Logistic regression analysis of data detected that only homocysteine strongly (Exp(B) 1.3, CI 1.0–1.62) and independently predicts increased IMT (p = 0.015).

Conclusion: Theses data show that in families with premature CAD, elevated plasma homocysteine is an independent risk factor of the increased IMT.