Abstract: Objective To investigate the influence of tropical climate on blood pressure, peripheral blood microRNA-146a and homocysteine (Hcy) in the elderly patients with essential hypertension from Northeast China. Methods A total of 252 elderly patients with essential hypertension who came to Sanya for winter from the three provinces in Northeast China and admitted to Sanya Central Hospital from October 2018 to January 2022 were enrolled as the study group, and 126 local elderly patients with essential hypertension in Sanya were enrolled as the control group. The blood pressure of all patients were measured and the levels of peripheral blood microRNA-146a and Hcy were detected at the time of the 1st week, the 3rd month and the 6th month in Sanya, and the control rate of hypertension and the incidence rate of adverse reactions and complications were observed and compared between the two groups. Results After 6 months of treatment, the control rate of hypertension in the study group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05), and was higher than that after 1 week of treatment in the study group (P<0.05). The systolic and diastolic blood pressure, the levels of peripheral blood microRNA-146a and serum Hcy in the study group decreased gradually from the 1st week, the 3rd month to the 6th month (P<0.05). After 3 months and 6 months of treatment, the systolic and diastolic blood pressure, the levels of peripheral blood microRNA-146a and serum Hcy in the study group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusions The tropical climate can relax the smooth muscles of elderly patients with essential hypertension from Northeast China, decrease blood pressure, reduce inflammatory reactions and lower microRNA-146a and Hcy. Thus, the complications and adverse events related to hypertension can be reduced.

Key words: hypertension, tropical climate, microRNA-146a, homocysteine