Plasma homocysteine concentration and blood pressure in young adult African Americans.
BACKGROUND
An association of plasma homocysteine concentration ([Hcy]) with cardiovascular events has been described, but the role of [Hcy] in the early phase of cardiovascular disease is uncertain. The purpose of this study was to determine whether [Hcy] is related to blood pressure (BP) or other risk factors in African Americans, a population at high risk for cardiovascular disease.


METHODS
This cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of premenopausal African American women (N = 119) and men (N = 56), 30 to 40 years of age. Each subject was classified as normotensive or hypertensive. Fasting blood samples were obtained for serum lipids, insulin, glucose, Hcy, folate, and B-12, followed by an oral glucose tolerance test.


RESULTS
Mean [Hcy] was higher in hypertensives compared to normotensives, but the difference was statistically significant only in women (10.5 +/- 5.3 v 8.2 +/- 2.3; P <.01). In women, the simple correlation analysis revealed a statistically significant relationship of [Hcy] with systolic BP (r = 0.22, P =.02) and diastolic BP (r = 0.240, P =.01). However, after adjusting for age and body mass index (BMI), the correlations were attenuated and no longer significant. There was a significant inverse relationship of [Hcy] with plasma folate (r = -0.35, P <.001) and B-12 (r = -0.29, P <.01) in women.


CONCLUSIONS
Although the simple correlation coefficient suggests a significant relationship of [Hcy] with BP in women, this relationship was no longer statistically significant after adjustment for age and BMI. The significant inverse relationship of plasma folate and B-12 with [Hcy] suggest that diet factors may affect the crude [Hcy]-BP relationship identified in this sample.
Dinavahi
Rajani
R
Department of Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, 833 Chestnut Street, Suite 700, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
Cossrow
Nicole
N
Kushner
Harvey
H
Falkner
Bonita
B
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000367:Age Factors; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003971:Diastole / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013599:Systole / Q000502:physiology; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood
D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D014280:Triglycerides; D006710:Homocysteine; D005492:Folic Acid; D014805:Vitamin B 12