title: Homocysteine levels in patients with masked hypertension.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Masked hypertension is a clinical condition, the importance of which is agreed in recent years and which is characterized by increased cardiovascular mortality and morbidity and is thought to be important endothelial dysfunction in the pathophysiology. Plasma total homocysteine levels are accepted as a major independent biomarker for endothelial dysfunction and/or a contributor to hypertension and coronary artery disease. In this study, we aimed to measure the level of serum homocysteine and to evaluate the relationship between the parameters of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in patients with masked hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional observational study included 37 subjects with normal blood pressure, 30 with masked-hypertension and 27 patients with obvious hypertension. Masked hypertension (MHT) was defined as office blood pressure <140/90 mm Hg and mean daytime ambulatory systolic blood pressure in 24 hours monitoring ≥135/85 mm Hg. Homocysteine levels of the subjects were measured by using HPLC system with fluorescent detector. Lipid parameters were measured by routine methods. Mann-Whitney U test was used for statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the analysis of homocysteine, it was observed that there was no difference between the control group and patients with MHT. Patients with high blood pressure showed higher homocysteine levels when compared to MHT (p=0.02). Homocysteine levels showed a weak positive correlation with average systolic blood pressure (r=0.335, p=0.043). Homocysteine levels were higher in smokers than non-smokers. compared with non-smokers group in all participants (p=0.036).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have reached the opinion that in the individuals with no obvious health problems but with MHT, homocysteine levels may not have any significant effect upon high blood pressure levels.
authors.affiliation: Center of Blood, Konya Education and Research Hospital; Konya-Turkey. kamile_yucel@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Kamile
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yücel
authors.forename: Taha Tahir
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Bekçi
authors.forename: Alparslan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taner
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kayrak
authors.forename: Emine Nedime
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Korucu
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Unlü
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D059468:Masked Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006710:Homocysteine; D002784:Cholesterol