Research reviewed by Gram found that about one in three adults with high blood pressure at a hospital in East Shenzhen, China had high homocysteine, a blood marker linked to heart disease. Abnormal blood fat levels were even more common, affecting 68% of the hypertension group.
High blood pressure and unhealthy blood fats are well-known drivers of heart disease. A new study from Pingshan People’s Hospital in East Shenzhen, China, looked at how well certain blood tests work and how common these risk markers are. The researchers found that the homocysteine and cholesterol tests they checked were accurate and reliable. Among 400 adults with high blood pressure, about one in three had elevated homocysteine, a blood marker linked to heart and blood vessel problems. Nearly 7 in 10 had at least one abnormal blood fat level. The team also found that estimated 10-year heart disease risk changed with age but not between men and women. According to research reviewed by Gram, these findings suggest that routine blood testing could help doctors spot and manage heart risk earlier, though more research is needed.
Key Statistics
A 2026 cross-sectional study of 400 adults with high blood pressure at Pingshan People’s Hospital in Shenzhen, China, found that 33.75% (135 people) had homocysteine levels of 15 micromoles per liter or higher.
A retrospective review of 55,575 people with complete lipid records at the same Shenzhen hospital in 2024 found that 62.35% (34,651 people) had at least one abnormal blood fat result.
In a study of 400 Chinese adults with high blood pressure conducted between April 2024 and April 2025, 68.00% (272 people) had at least one abnormal lipid level.
The Quick Take
- What they studied: The researchers wanted to know whether a set of blood tests for homocysteine and cholesterol-related fats were accurate, how much heart disease risk adults with high blood pressure faced over the next decade, and how common high homocysteine and unhealthy blood fats were in a hospital population.
- Who participated: The study had two groups. The first was 400 adults with high blood pressure who were enrolled at Pingshan People’s Hospital in Shenzhen, China, between April 2024 and April 2025. The second was a review of lab records from 55,575 unique people tested at the same hospital in 2024. Both groups were hospital patients, not a random sample of the whole population.
- Key finding: About 85.5% of the 400 participants had high blood pressure, and 33.75% (135 people) had high homocysteine, defined as 15 micromoles per liter or higher. Among the high blood pressure group, 68% (272 people) had at least one abnormal blood fat level. In the larger lab review, 62.35% of people had at least one abnormal blood fat result.
- What it means for you: If you have high blood pressure, your doctor may check your homocysteine and blood fats along with your blood pressure to get a fuller picture of your heart risk. These results come from one hospital, so they show what is common in that setting rather than proving that any one test changes your outcome.
The Research Details
The study had two main parts. In the first, the researchers tested how accurately and consistently five blood assays measured homocysteine, total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol (often called the “bad” cholesterol), and HDL cholesterol (often called the “good” cholesterol). They followed standardized guidelines from the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute, a group that sets rules for lab testing. They checked things like precision, trueness, sensitivity, and linearity, which describe how repeatable, correct, detectable, and proportional the test results are.
In the second part, the team enrolled 400 adults with high blood pressure at one hospital. They measured blood markers and used a China-specific risk calculator, called the Prediction for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk in China, to estimate each person’s chance of a heart or blood vessel problem over the next 10 years. They also counted how many participants had high homocysteine and abnormal blood fats.
In the third part, the researchers looked back at 55,575 people with complete cholesterol and blood fat records from the hospital’s 2024 lab database. They removed incomplete and duplicate records before counting how many had at least one abnormal result.
This design is useful for answering practical questions about what is happening in a real clinic right now. Checking whether the tests are accurate is essential, because a test that gives unreliable numbers cannot guide treatment. Looking at the hospital’s large lab database adds weight to the findings, since it reflects patterns across tens of thousands of people rather than only a small group. However, a cross-sectional design takes a snapshot at one moment, so it shows how common markers are but cannot prove that high homocysteine causes heart problems.
The study followed recognized lab testing standards, which supports confidence in the measurements. The large database review adds useful scale. The main weaknesses are that all participants came from a single hospital, and the study does not describe every detail in the summary, such as the exact 10-year risk numbers. The sample size for the main hypertension group is modest, so the estimates of how common each marker is come with some uncertainty. The paper was published in a peer-reviewed journal, which means outside experts reviewed it before publication.
What the Results Show
The blood tests for homocysteine and cholesterol-related fats performed well. They were precise, meaning repeated tests gave similar results. They were also accurate, meaning the results matched true values, and they were sensitive enough to detect small differences. This matters because doctors need trustworthy numbers before they can act on them.
Among the 400 adults with high blood pressure, the researchers estimated each person’s 10-year risk of heart and blood vessel disease. The estimated risk increased with age. It did not differ between men and women in this group. This suggests that age is a stronger factor than sex in this particular calculation, although the full paper provides the detailed breakdown.
High homocysteine was common. About one in three participants (33.75%, or 135 people) had levels of 15 micromoles per liter or higher. Using a lower cutoff of 10 micromoles per liter, the researchers also looked at the same group, and the risk patterns did not differ between the two cutoffs. High homocysteine is a blood marker that has been linked to blood vessel damage, so finding it in a third of patients is notable.
Abnormal blood fats were also widespread. In the high blood pressure group, 68% (272 people) had at least one abnormal lipid result. In the larger lab database of 55,575 people, 62.35% (34,651 people) had at least one abnormal result. These numbers suggest that unhealthy blood fats are a common issue in this hospital population.
The study also showed that high blood pressure was very common among the hospital patients in the cohort, with about 85.5% of participants meeting that definition. Because nearly all of these people also had other risk markers to consider, the overlap of several risk factors appears to be the norm rather than the exception in this setting. The finding that homocysteine testing is both accurate and widely abnormal supports the idea that it could be added to routine heart risk checks in similar clinics.
Previous research has consistently linked high homocysteine and abnormal blood fats with higher heart and blood vessel risk, and clinical guidelines already recognize cholesterol and blood pressure as core risk factors. This study adds local data from a large Chinese hospital, showing how often these markers appear together in one real-world population. Homocysteine is less often tested in routine practice than cholesterol, so these findings add weight to the case for including it more regularly.
The study took place at one hospital, so the results may not apply to the general public, to people who never visit hospitals, or to other regions of China. The cross-sectional design shows what is common at one point in time but cannot prove cause and effect. The large lab database review included only people who had complete cholesterol records, which may skew the results toward patients who were already being tested for a reason. The summary does not give every detail about the 10-year risk estimates, so readers should consult the full paper for those specifics. Finally, the study did not measure whether treating high homocysteine or blood fats led to fewer heart problems over time.
The Bottom Line
Research shows that blood tests for homocysteine and cholesterol-related fats can be measured accurately in a hospital lab, which supports using them in heart risk assessment (moderate to high confidence in the accuracy finding). The study suggests that homocysteine checks may be worth considering for adults with high blood pressure because a third of them had elevated levels (lower confidence, since this study cannot show that treating it improves outcomes). Anyone with high blood pressure should discuss their full set of heart risk markers with a doctor, not rely on any single number.
Adults with high blood pressure, people with a family history of heart disease, and clinicians who manage cardiovascular risk should find these findings useful. People with no known heart risk factors may still benefit from standard cholesterol and blood pressure checks, but this study does not directly address their situation. Individuals who already take medicines for blood pressure or cholesterol should not change their treatment based on this article alone.
Blood tests can show your current levels within days of a lab visit. Changes in blood fats or homocysteine from diet, exercise, or medicine often appear within a few weeks to a few months. Reductions in long-term heart risk usually take years of consistent management, and the benefits of any specific change are best judged with your doctor over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How common is high homocysteine in people with high blood pressure?
In a study of 400 adults with high blood pressure at a Shenzhen hospital, 33.75% had homocysteine levels of 15 micromoles per liter or higher. The researchers found that homocysteine testing was accurate and reliable in the lab.
Does high homocysteine increase heart disease risk?
Homocysteine is a blood marker that has been linked in prior research to damage in blood vessels and higher heart disease risk. This Shenzhen study measured how often it appears in patients but did not test whether lowering it prevents heart problems.
What blood tests should people with high blood pressure ask their doctor about?
Doctors often check total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides for heart risk. A Shenzhen study also measured homocysteine, finding abnormal levels in a third of hypertension patients. Ask your doctor which tests fit your personal risk profile.
Do blood fat levels affect heart risk differently in men and women?
In this Shenzhen study of 400 adults with high blood pressure, estimated 10-year heart disease risk changed with age but did not differ between men and women. Abnormal blood fats were found in 68% of the group, showing they are a widespread concern.
Want to Apply This Research?
- Log your blood pressure readings at least three times per week and record the date, time, and whether you were resting. Each time you get blood work, enter your total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides, and homocysteine results if your doctor has measured them. Track these numbers together so you can see trends over several months.
- Set a weekly reminder to walk for 30 minutes on at least five days, since regular activity supports healthy blood pressure and blood fat levels. Use the app to log meals that include vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein, and aim to reduce salty and fried foods. Ask your doctor whether a homocysteine test is appropriate for you and add the result to your log when you have it.
- Plan a review every three to six months, comparing your blood pressure, blood fat, and any homocysteine results against your previous entries. Share the app summary with your doctor at each visit so they can adjust your plan. Consider setting a reminder for an annual full lipid panel and a yearly review of your estimated heart risk score with your healthcare provider.
This article summarizes a single hospital-based study and is for general information only. It is not medical advice. The research looked at patterns in one population and did not prove that testing or treating homocysteine or blood fats prevents heart disease. Talk with your doctor before changing any medicine, diet, or exercise plan, especially if you have high blood pressure, heart disease, or other health conditions.
This research translation is published by Gram Research, the science division of Gram, an AI-powered nutrition tracking app.