Hyperhomocysteinemia is one of the risk factors associated with cerebrovascular stiffness in hypertensive patients, especially elderly males

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 4; no. 1; p. 5663
• Main Authors: Okura, Takafumi, Miyoshi, Ken-ichi, Irita, Jun, Enomoto, Daijiro, Nagao, Tomoaki, Kukida, Masayoshi, Tanino, Akiko, Kudo, Kayo, Pei, Zouwei, Higaki, Jitsuo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 11-07-2014; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/443/1338/2100; 692/699/75/243; Aged; Antihypertensives; Blood pressure; Blood Pressure - physiology; Brain - metabolism; Brain - pathology; C-Reactive Protein - metabolism; Cardiovascular diseases; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; Cerebral infarction; Cerebrovascular Disorders - metabolism; Cerebrovascular Disorders - pathology; Cerebrovascular system; Cholesterol; Cholesterol - metabolism; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Geriatrics; Glomerular filtration rate; Glycated Hemoglobin A - metabolism; Health risk assessment; High density lipoprotein; Homocysteine; Homocysteine - metabolism; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Hyperhomocysteinemia; Hyperhomocysteinemia - metabolism; Hyperhomocysteinemia - pathology; Hypertension; Hypertension - metabolism; Hypertension - pathology; Lipoproteins, HDL - metabolism; Male; Middle Aged; multidisciplinary; Multiple regression analysis; Regression analysis; Risk Factors; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Stroke; Ultrasound; Uric acid; Uric Acid - metabolism
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/srep05663

Hyperhomocystemia has been reported to be associated with cardiovascular disease, especially stroke. The resistive index (RI) estimated by carotid ultrasound is an established variable for estimating the risk of cerebral infarction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between homocysteine concentration and carotid RI, a marker of cerebral vascular resistance in essential hypertensive patients. We measured serum total homocysteine and carotid RI in 261 patients. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine the association of homocysteine with carotid RI and intima media thickness (IMT). Age, sex, BMI, systolic blood pressure (SBP), homocysteine, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), uric acid, CRP, HbA1c, estimated glomerular filtration rate and use of antihypertensive agents were included as independent variables. Age, sex, use of antihypertensive agents, HDL-C and homocysteine levels were shown to be significant predictors of carotid RI, but not IMT. Multiple regression analysis in men older than 65 years showed homocysteine and SBP were associated significantly with carotid RI. In elderly male patients, homocysteine was the strongest predictor of carotid RI (B = 0.0068, CI = 0.0017–0.0120, P = 0.011) in the multivariate model. In conclusion, hyperhomocysteinemia is associated with carotid RI, a surrogate marker of cerebral vascular resistance, especially in elderly men.