Betaine excretion correlates with plasma homocysteine when plasma lipids are elevated

Objectives: To reconcile observing a positive correlation of betaine excretion with homocysteine in lipid disorder patients but not other study groups. Design and methods: Correlations were estimated in subgroups of a control group and the lipid disorder patients. Results: Plasma non high-density lipoprotein (non-HDL) cholesterol differed (p<0.0001) between the groups. The correlation increased with the median plasma non-HDL cholesterol in subgroups. Conclusions: This correlation is associated with patients with elevated plasma lipids. (C) 2011 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.