title: Correlation between low folate levels and hyperhomocysteinemia, but not with vitamin B12 in hypertensive patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hypertension is considered to be among the most important risk factors for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. In recent years, several investigators have reported that high plasma levels of total homocysteine (t-hcy) has a key role in the development of hypertension, and the deficiency of B complex vitamins could increase the risk of hypertension. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between plasma homocysteine, folate and vitamin B12 in hypertensive patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 116 patients with hypertension and 81 healthy subjects, total plasma homocysteine, vitamin B12 and folate levels were measured.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Homocysteine was significantly higher in patients than in control subjects (22.9±3.5 versus 9.0±2.3 μmol/L respectively, p<0.001); the folate plasma concentrations in hypertensive patients were significantly lower than in control subjects (6.7±5.0 ng/ml and 9.0±4.4 ng/ml respectively, p<0.05). Moreover, no differences in vitamin B12 plasma levels were observed when comparing the levels of hypertensive patients and those of the controls (440±223 pg/ml vs 491±185 pg/ml respectively, p>0.05). Our results confirmed that, as previously observed, elevated t-hcy levels and low folate levels, but not vitamin B12 levels, are significantly associated with hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biopathology and Biomedical and Forensic Biotechnologies.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scazzone
authors.affiliation: Department of Biopathology and Biomedical and Forensic Biotechnologies.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bono
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Operative Unit of Nephrology and Hypertension, University of Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tornese
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Operative Unit of Nephrology and Hypertension, University of Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arsena
authors.affiliation: Department of Biopathology and Biomedical and Forensic Biotechnologies.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schillaci
authors.affiliation: Department of Biopathology and Biomedical and Forensic Biotechnologies.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Butera
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Operative Unit of Nephrology and Hypertension, University of Palermo, Italy concetta.scazzone@unipa.it.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cottone
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D020138:Hyperhomocysteinemia / Q000097:blood*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012015:Reference Standards; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D005492:Folic Acid; D014805:Vitamin B 12
keywords: Cobalamin; Folate; Homocysteine; Hypertension; Vitamin B12; Vitamin B9