Background: Low levels of plasma homocysteine have been found in children and adult populations living in Burkina Faso in association with a low prevalence of coronary heart disease.

Methods: Based on this finding, the levels of plasma homocysteine and other thiols (cysteine, cysteinylglycine, glutathione) in postmenopausal women living in Burkina Faso were evaluated with the aim of investigating whether age and life conditions influence plasma homocysteine and other thiol levels.

Results: It was found that in older postmenopausal women the mean level of homocysteine was higher (16.4+/-6.6 micromol/L) than in fertile women (6.8+/-1.2 micromol/L) and that this increase was correlated with cysteine levels (166.6+/-44.6 micromol/L). While the glutathione level in postmenopausal women was lower (3.6+/-2.3 micromol/L) compared with fertile women (7.0+/-1.7 micromol/L), cysteinylglycine levels were within the normal range (29.9+/-9.3 micromol/L). No correlation was found between homocysteine levels and serum folate, vitamin B(12), vitamin B(6), cystatin C and serum creatinine levels. The older the women were, the higher were their plasma homocysteine levels: levels up to 20.2+/-9.1 micromol/L were found in those >70 years old.

Conclusions: The elevated levels of homocysteine in the postmenopausal women of Burkina Faso must be viewed as a characteristic of older age and its metabolic consequences.

Plasma homocysteine, postmenopausal women, Burkina Faso, thiol levels, aging, cysteine, glutathione, cysteinylglycine