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Association Between Plasma Homocysteine and Microalbuminuria in Untreated Patients with Essential Hypertension: a

Ze-Min Kuang1, Ying Wang2, Shu-Jun Feng2

  • 1Department of Hypertension, Beijing Anzhen Hospital of Capital Medical University, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China.

Kidney & Blood Pressure Research
|December 21, 2017
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Elevated homocysteine (Hcy) levels are linked to an increased risk of microalbuminuria (MAU) in hypertensive patients. This finding suggests Hcy may contribute to early kidney damage in essential hypertension.

Area of Science:

  • Nephrology
  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Clinical Chemistry

Background:

  • Kidney function is crucial for homocysteine (Hcy) clearance, with elevated plasma Hcy common in renal failure.
  • Microalbuminuria (MAU) signifies early renal damage, often associated with hypertension.
  • The relationship between Hcy and MAU requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between plasma homocysteine levels and microalbuminuria in patients with essential hypertension.
  • To determine if Hcy can serve as a predictor for MAU in this population.

Main Methods:

  • A matched case-control study involving 450 outpatients with essential hypertension.
  • Serum Hcy concentrations were measured using a cyclic enzyme method.
  • MAU was defined by a urine albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR) between 30–300 μg/mg.

Main Results:

  • The MAU group exhibited significantly higher mean systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, and plasma Hcy levels compared to the non-MAU group.
  • Plasma Hcy demonstrated good predictive value for MAU (AUC = 0.772), with a cut-off of 15.0 μmol/L yielding 49.3% sensitivity and 92.3% specificity.
  • Higher Hcy levels (> 15 µmol/L) were independently associated with an increased likelihood of MAU (OR = 5.650-16.543, P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

  • Elevated plasma homocysteine levels are associated with microalbuminuria in patients with essential hypertension.
  • Homocysteine may contribute to the susceptibility of hypertensive individuals to developing microalbuminuria.
  • Hcy could be a potential biomarker for early renal damage in hypertensive patients.
Keywords:
Case-controlEssential hypertensionHomocysteineMicroalbuminuria

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