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Abstract Objective To investigate the effect of folic acid therapy on blood pressure in hypertensive patients with high plasma homocysteine level. Methods 600 hypertensive outpatients were enrol ed and divided into high homocysteine group and normal homocysteine group based on plasma homocysteine level measured by enzymatic cycling method. Al patients were treated with folic acid. Plasma homocysteine concentration and ambulatory blood pressure were measured at 4 and 24 weeks later. Results 456 hypertensive patients had high homocysteine level and 144 had normal homocysteine level. After folic acid treatment, the plasma homocysteine level, 24 h mean arterial systolic pressure, 24 h mean arterial diastolic pressure, mean nighttime systolic pressure and mean nighttime diastolic pressure at 4 and 24 weeks, were significantly decreased in high homocysteine group (al P<0.01) but not in normal homocysteine group. Conclusion Folic acid treatment may be beneficial to reduce blood pressure in hypertensive patients with high homocysteine level.
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