Association between homocysteine level and length of stay in patients with lower extremity atherosclerotic disease: a retrospective cohort study

Abstract

ObjectivesHomocysteine (Hcy) level has been widely identified as a risk factor associated with adverse outcomes in patients with lower extremity atherosclerotic disease (LEAD). However, there are still some knowledge gaps in research on the association between Hcy level and downstream adverse outcomes, such as length of stay (LOS). This study aims to explore whether and to what extent Hcy level is associated with LOS in patients with LEAD.DesignRetrospective cohort study.SettingChina.Participants, primary and secondary outcomesWe conducted a retrospective cohort study of 748 patients from inpatients with LEAD between January 2014 and November 2021 at the First Hospital of China Medical University in China. We used a slew of generalised linear models to evaluate the association between Hcy level and LOS.ResultsThe patients’ median age was 68 years and 631 (84.36%) were males. A dose–response curve with an inflection point at 22.63 µmol/L was observed between Hcy level and LOS after the adjustment of potential confounders. LOS increased before Hcy level reached the inflection point (β: 0.36; 95% CI: 0.18 to 0.55; p<0.001).ConclusionOur results show that an Hcy level <22.63 µmol/L is associated with increased LOS in patients with LEAD, which was independent of some other risk factors. This might shed light on how Hcy can be used as a key marker in the comprehensive management of patients with LEAD during hospitalisation.