Hyperhomocysteinemia in menopausal hypertension: an added risk factor and a dangerous association for organ damage.
Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci
; 6(4): 81-7, 2002.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-12729036
ABSTRACT
Hyperhomocysteinemia is widely recognised as an emerging risk factor of endothelial dysfunction and vascular damage. In this study we wanted to verify if it, when associated to arterial hypertension--traditional risk factor--represents a higher added risk of organ damage during menopause, which is a condition connected to a higher incidence of cerebrovascular diseases. A survey of 30 postmenopausal women with similar characteristics (BMI, age, absence of relevant pathologies such as diabetes, metabolic disorders and absence of smoking) was selected (menopause had occurred from 12 to 16 months at the moment of observation). At the moment of the observation they had not gone through any continuous pharmacological therapy. They were subdivided into 3 groups normotensive; hypertensive (with 2nd degree hypertension mild to moderate) without organ damage; hypertensive with organ damage (TIA, ischaemic heart disease, etc.). The carotid IMT, measured with ultrasound method, was considered as an organ damage parameter. 43% of the patients had high levels of homocysteine (> 15 micromol/l), which are levels considered at risk in other surveys. The highest levels of homocysteine were recorded in hypertensive women with episodes of acute cerebrovascular damage (micromol/l = 24.3 +/- 8.9). In this group, a positive correlation (r = 0.7) was obtained between homocysteine levels and carotid IMT. The possible coexistence of hyperhomocysteinemia and arterial hypertension, even though without particularly high values for both of them, in menopause may represent a dangerous association responsible for a significant organ damage and, therefore, for acute cerebrovascular events.
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Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Menopause
/
Carotid Arteries
/
Cerebrovascular Disorders
/
Tunica Intima
/
Hyperhomocysteinemia
/
Hypertension
Type of study:
Etiology_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Middle aged
Language:
En
Journal:
Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci
Journal subject:
FARMACOLOGIA
/
TOXICOLOGIA
Year:
2002
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Italia