HOMOCYSTEINEMIA IN PATIENTS WITH ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION AND CEREBROVASCULAR COMPLICATIONS
The aim of the study was to assess the serum homocysteine level in patients with arterial hypertension (AH) and cerebrovascular complications. The study involved a total of 162 male and female patients aged 40 to 70 years with AH and cerebrovascular complications. The glucose, creatinine, and homocysteine levels as well as blood lipid profile and the carotid artery intimamedia thickness (IMT) were determined. Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHCY) was detected in 82.1% of patients. The average serum homocysteine level was 24.2 micromol/L [95% of confidence interval (CI) 22.68-25.83 micromol/L]. The average homocysteine levels in patients with stroke and transitory ischemic attacks did not significantly differ: 24.1 micromol/L (95% of CI 22.21-25.94 micromol/L) and 24.5 micromol/L (95% of CI 21.83-27.04 micromol/L), respectively (p=0.6367). HHCY positively correlated with age (r=0.3632, p=0.0000) and creatinine level (r=0.3060, p=0.0001) and negatively correlated with the glomerular filtration rate (r=-0.2606, p=0.0008). A significant positive correlation was found between homocysteine and lipoprotein levels and between homocysteine level and IMT (r=0.2926, p=0.0002).