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Homoarginine and blood pressure: a 10-year prospective relationship in normotensives

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 36, pages 135–143 (2022)Cite this article

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Abstract

Nitric oxide plays a major role in the regulation of blood pressure, and impaired nitric oxide bioavailability contributes to the development of hypertension (HT). Various factors may contribute to nitric oxide bioavailability—including availability of the substrate for nitric oxide synthesis, L-arginine and its homolog L-homoarginine. We investigated whether blood pressure after 10 years associates with baseline L-homoarginine in participants who remained normotensive (NT) or developed HT, respectively. Data from the South African leg of the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology study, performed in the North-West Province, were used. We investigated participants who either remained NT (N = 166) or who developed HT (N = 166) over 10 years. Blood pressure was measured with validated OMRON devices and serum L-homoarginine was analyzed with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. L-homoarginine levels were similar at baseline (p = 0.39) and follow-up (p = 0.93) between NT and hypertensive groups. In the group that remained NT after 10 years, baseline L-homoarginine correlated positively with follow-up brachial systolic blood pressure (adj.R2 = 0.13; β = 0.33; p = 0.001), brachial pulse pressure (adj.R2 = 0.15 β = 0.40; p = 0.001), and central pulse pressure (adj.R2 = 0.20; β = 0.30; p = 0.003). No significant associations were found in the group that developed HT after 10 years. We found a positive, independent association between blood pressure and L-homoarginine in a group that remained NT, but not in a group that developed HT after 10 years. This may suggest a protective role for L-homoarginine to maintain normal blood pressure, but only to a certain level. Once HT develops other factors may overshadow the protective effects of L-homoarginine.

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Fig. 1
Fig. 2: Relationship of follow-up blood pressure measures with baseline L-homoarginine.
Fig. 3: Associations between follow-up blood pressure measures and baseline L-homoarginine in total group, participants that remained normotensive or became hypertensive, respectively, over 10 years.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge all participants of the PURE study as well as the students, support staff, and researchers at the Hypertension Research and Training Clinic at the North-West University. In addition, the supporting staff in the Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research (AUTHeR), Dr. Iolanthé Kruger, North-West University, South Africa, as well as Dr. S. Yusuf (PURE-International) and the PURE project staff at the PHRI, Hamilton Health Sciences and McMaster University, ON, Canada.

Funding

This work was financially supported by SANPAD (South Africa–Netherlands Research Program on Alternatives in Development), PHRI (Population Health Research Institute), the MRC (Medical Research Council) of South Africa, the South African NRF (National Research Foundation) (GUN numbers 2069139 and FA2006040700010), the North-West University, Roche Diagnostics, and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)-NRF. Opinions expressed and conclusions arrived at are those of the author and are not necessarily to be attributed to the DAAD-NRF.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hypertension in Africa Research Team (HART), Faculty of Health Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa

    Maserame Cleopatra Mokhaneli, Shani Botha-Le Roux, Carla Maria Theresia Fourie & Catharina Martha Cornelia Mels

  2. MRC Research Unit for Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa

    Shani Botha-Le Roux, Carla Maria Theresia Fourie & Catharina Martha Cornelia Mels

  3. Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany

    Rainer Böger & Edzard Schwedhelm

  4. Deutsches Zentrum fuer Herz-Kreislauf-Forschung E.V. (DZHK), Partner Site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, Hamburg, Germany

    Rainer Böger & Edzard Schwedhelm

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  1. Maserame Cleopatra Mokhaneli
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Correspondence to Catharina Martha Cornelia Mels.

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Mokhaneli, M.C., Botha-Le Roux, S., Fourie, C.M.T. et al. Homoarginine and blood pressure: a 10-year prospective relationship in normotensives. J Hum Hypertens 36, 135–143 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41371-020-00449-5

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