Epidemiological characteristics of hyperhomocysteinemia and H-type hypertension in the elderly in Beijing, China

Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) is an important risk factor for atherosclerosis-related diseases, and H-type hypertension (HHT) is becoming a major health-care concern in China. We assessed the prevalence of HHcy and HHT in the elderly in a retrospective study based on data obtained from the Beijing Longitudinal Study of Aging. This cross-sectional study comprised 1460 people in the general population (638 males and 822 females) aged ≥60 years dwelling in an urban district, a suburb, and an outer suburb of Beijing in 2012. Statistical sampling techniques included cluster, stratification, and random selection. Basic information and physical examination data were collected by trained staff, and the levels of plasma homocysteine (Hcy) were measured. Our results showed that the mean concentration of plasma Hcy was 21.3 μmol/L in the elderly population (24.2 μmol/L for males and 19.0 μmol/L for females; 22.5 μmol/L for rural residents and 20.4 μmol/L for urban residents); 74.4% of the subjects were considered to have HHcy (86.2% of males and 63.8% of females; 75.8% of rural and 73.0% of urban residents), and 50.2% were considered to have HHT (55.2% of males and 45.7% of females; 51.8% of rural and 48.8% of urban residents). Our study findings indicated that the prevalence of HHcy and HHT was high among elderly persons in Beijing.