Serum homocysteine; hypertensive patients

ABSTRACT

To evaluate the serum homocysteine level in patients with hypertension at Liaquat University Hospital Hyderabad. This six months study was conducted at Liaquat University Hospital Hyderabad. All the hypertensive patients for >/= 01 years duration, of >/= 35 years of age and either gender visited at the cardiac logy OPD or admitted in cardiac ward were registered and evaluated for their homocysteine level. The normal plasma homocysteine level is between 5 to <15 micro mol/L. The results of plasma homocysteine level were interpreted as normal, moderate, intermediate and severe according to the reference range [moderate = 15 to 30 micro mol/L; intermediate = 30 to 100 micro mol/L; severe = >100 micro mol/L]. The frequency and percentage was calculated for hyperhomocysteinemia in hypertensive patients. The chi-square and independent t-test was applied between categorical variables at 95% confidence interval and the p-value patients were registered for study. Of these 86[71.7%] were males and 34 [28.3%] were female. Regarding plasma homocysteine level, hyperhomocysteinemia was observed in 99[83%] hypertensive patients, of which 75[75.8%] were males and 24[24.2%] were females while the 21[17.5%] subjects had normohomocysteinemia [p=0.04]. According to the categorical classification of plasma homocysteine level, the moderate was identified in 58[48%], intermediate in 19 [16%] and severe in 22 [18%] [p = 0.04]. The mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure in overall population was 160 +/- 26 and 90 +/- 16 [p=0.02] respectively. The mean +/- SD for plasma homocysteine level in overall population was 72.83 +/- 12.61 whereas the mean +/- SD of patients with normal, moderate, intermediate and severe plasma homocysteine level was 7.1 +/- 1.8, 21 +/- 2.7, 60 +/- 12.4 and 116 +/- 7.3 respectively. It is observed that serum homocysteine appears to be raised in patients with hypertension. The hyperhomocysteinemia may be involved in the induction and sustaining of hypertension