A Correlative Study of Serum Homocysteine with Serum Lipid Profile in Young Adult Hypertensive Patients in Indian Population

Abstract

Background: Hypertension and dyslipidemia are major risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in both developed and developing countries. The prevalence of hypertension is projected to increase globally, especially in the developing countries. In recent years, rapid urbanization, unhealthy diet and lifestyle changes have led to an increased rate of CVD. Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) has been regarded as a new risk factor related to hypertension. An elevated homocysteine level induces thrombogenicity, causes procoagulant state and promotes the proliferation of smooth muscle cells, which could lead to vascular constriction and stiffness. Our study was aimed to find out the status of serum homocysteine and serum lipid profile in hypertensive and normo- tensive subjects & correlation of serum homocysteine with serum lipid profile in hypertensive subjects. This study was limited and this topic needs to be further worked upon. Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted on 100 patients with essential hypertension who attended the medical OPD of Jawahar Lal Nehru Medical College and Associated Group of Hospital, Ajmer. The results of patients were compared with 50 normotensive subjects. Anthropometric para- meters and biochemical estimation were performed after taking approval from Ethical Committee. The serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and HDL cholesterol (HDLC) were determined enzymatically, while LDL cholesterol (LDLC) was calculated using the Friedewald formula & serum homocysteine was determined by ELISA technique. Results: The mean serum level of homocysteine was elevated in hypertensive subjects as compared to normotensive subjects and was highly significant (P<0.0001). The mean values of serum TC, TG and LDL-C were significantly higher and statistically significant among the hypertensive patients compared to normotensive subjects & the mean HDL –C level was lower in the hypertensive subjects compared to normotensive subjects and was statistically significant. The present study has also shown the positive correlation between serum homocysteine and serum TC, TG and LDL-C & negative correlation between serum homocysteine and HDL-C in hypertensive subjects. Conclusion: The observations of this study have revealed that there was significant alteration of serum homocysteine, cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in hypertensive patients. Therefore, for routine monitoring of hypertensive patients to prevent the coronary heart disease (CHD) and other consequences, the reinforcement of these parameters may be recommended in daily clinical practice.