Introduction & Objective : Stroke is the third most common cause of death in the world , and it is also a major cause of longterm disability . The most promising strategy to reduce the stroke is prevention and the success of this prevention strategy depends , however , on identifying and controlling all important causal and modifiable risk factors. A previously emerging risk factor for stroke , which is prevalent and modifiable and may be causal , is elevated plasma homocysteine. The author of this study hypothesized that elevated homocysteine (Hcys) is a risk factor for all of stroke subtypes in which atherosclerosis plays a primary role.

Materials & Methods : This case-controlled study included 58 patients (33 men and 25 women ) with stroke who were admitted to a university teaching hospital in Hamadan. The control group consisted of 103 randomly selected subjects (60 men and 53 women) with a mean age of 50 years who did not have a stroke. Both groups of patients provided a history of their vascular modifiable risk factors , effectiveness factor in plasma Hcys level . Then analyzed fasting blood samples , for plasma Hcys levels.

Results : Compared with control subjects , ischemic (n=44) , and hemorrhagic (n=14) strokes had higher geometric mean values of total Hcys and higher proportions of Hcys³ 11.0 mmol/L that was significant.

Conclusion: There is a significant association between elevated Hcys and all of stroke subtypes.