<b>Hyperhomocysteinemia</b>

Abstract

SUMMARYThe association between homocysteine and sustained hypertension (HT) has been studied. The aim of this study was to assess homocysteine levels in white coat hypertension (WCH) as an indicator of increased risk in the development of cardiovascular diseases. WCH was defined as clinical hypertension and a daytime ambulatory blood pressure of < 135/85 mmHg. Plasma levels of homocysteine were determined in patients with WCH, hypertension, and normotension (NT). The study group included 100 subjects, 33 with WCH (16 males, 17 females) aged 49.1 ± 1.9; 35 sustained hypertensives (17 males,18 females) aged 48.5 ± 1.7 and 32 normotensive control subjects (15 males, 17 females) aged 48.8 ± 2.2. The subjects were matched for age, gender, and body mass index. Patients with a smoking habit, dyslipidemia, or diabetes mellitus were not included in the study. Homocysteine levels were analyzed by ELISA. Plasma homocysteine levels were significantly higher in the WCH group compared to the controls (12.32 ± 1.07 versus 5.35 ± 1.38 µmol/L; P < 0.001) and the WCH group had significantly lower homocysteine values than the hypertensives (19.03 ± 0.76 µmol/L P < 0.001). Total cholesterol and triglycerides were not different among the groups. There were no statistically significant differences in urinary albumin excretion (UAE) or creatinine clearence between the three groups. Hypertensive retinopathy was observed in the WCH group, but was less severe and less frequent compared to HTs. LVMI was greater in the WCH group compared to the NTs, but significantly less than HTs.The data demonstrate that WCH is associated with high levels of homocysteine. The increase in homocysteine level in WCH is not as high as in SHT. Since an elevated plasma homocysteine level is a strong risk factor for coronary artery disease and there was target organ damage in our WCH group, we conclude that WCH should not be considered to be an innocent trait. (Int Heart J 2005; 46: 245-254)

Association between homocysteine level and blood pressure traits among Tibetans

“…[6] Moreover, similar results were obtained in case–control studies conducted in USA [14] and Turkey. [9,23] Folic acid supplementation resulted in a decrease of both plasma tHcy levels and BP levels can be another support for the relationship between tHcy level and HTN. In 2012, a cohort study including 4400 men and women aged 18 to 30 years found that higher folic acid intake in young adulthood was longitudinally associated with a lower incidence of HTN later in life, and this association was racial related.…”