Homocysteine levels and risk of essential hypertension: A meta-analysis of published epidemiological studies.

BACKGROUND

Plasma homocysteine (Hcy) levels may be associated with essential hypertension (EH). However, the results of previous studies on this association are inconsistent.

METHODS

In this meta-analysis, we performed a systematic literature search of the Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science for the relevant articles dated up to March 2016. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to evaluate the estimates.

RESULTS

We included 11 studies with a total of 16,571 participants (4,830 EH cases). We found that elevated Hcy levels were associated with the risk of EH (pooled OR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.02-1.80 in the random-effects model). However, subsequent subgroup analyses showed that elevated Hcy levels increased the EH risk in retrospective studies (OR: 1.82, 95% CI: 1.53-2.16; p < 0.001) and unadjusted studies (OR: 1.72, 95% CI: 1.43-2.07; p < 0.001), but not in perspective studies (OR: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.73-1.28; p = 0.939) and adjusted studies (OR: 1.21, 95% CI: 0.85-1.72; p = 0.297). No significant publication bias was found (p = 0.876 for Begg's test, p = 0.144 for Egger's test).

CONCLUSION

Plasma Hcy levels are associated with EH risk. However, our findings do not support a causal association between Hcy levels and EH.