AimTo investigate the association of plasma homocysteine (Hcy) with arterial stiffness, measured as brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (BaPWV) in essential hypertensive patients.Methods146 essential hypertensive patients were enrolled in the study.All the patients accepted physical examination, laboratorial checks, and coronary risk factors were recorded.They were classified into four groups according to interquartile interval of homocysteine.And they were also classified into two groups according to BaPWV.The differences among these groups were analyzed.ResultsThe linear correlation analysis showed that Hcy was more positively correlated with age, smoking, systolic blood pressure (SBP), pulse pressure (PP), pulse pressure index (PPI) and BaPWV (r=0.278, 0.272, 0.608, 0.575, 0.460 and 0.351， p<0.05).BaPWV was more positively correlated with Hcy, SBP, PP and PPI (r=0.351, 0.322, 0.322 and 0.253, p<0.01).Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that PP and Hcy were both independent risk factors for BaPWV.ConclusionThis study showed a positive correlation between high levels of plasma Hcy and arterial stiffness measured as BaPWV in essential hypertensive patients.