Can MTHFR cause high blood pressure?

Quick background:

MTHFR (methylenetetrahydrofolatereductase) is an enzyme involved in producing the active form of folate (5-methyltetrahydrofolate, also known as levomefolic acid or methylfolate for short) from 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate. In simple terms, this is one of the enzymes involved in turning the folate you consume into a form that your body can actually use.

There are different forms of the MTHFR enzyme in the human population—some forms are less active than others, meaning that some people have trouble producing this active form of folate from the folate they consume.

Why is that a problem? Well, one thing this does is it makes your body less able to recycle homocysteine back into methionine. Homocysteine then blocks your body’s production of the all-important molecule, nitric oxide—which is important for proper dilation of your blood vessels. If you don’t have that, your body will not be able to properly regulate vascular tension, and you could end up with high blood pressure.

But the thing is: MTHFR is not the only enzyme involved in this pathway. There are several other enzymes that are required to produce active folate—DHFR, MTHFD, etc.—and if you have a problem with any one of these enzymes, you’ll have a problem producing active folate, recycling homocysteine back to methionine, and producing nitric oxide.

So if you’re worried that MTHFR is causing your blood pressure problems, don’t just test yourself for MTHFR, test yourself for all of these genes.

Of course, high blood pressure is a complex phenomenon, and methylation issues are not going to be the cause in every person. There’s a myriad of other factors that can cause blood pressure problems, and it takes a holistic, comprehensive assessment of your lifestyle, blood values, etc. to get to the root of the issue. But it’s perfectly doable. Let us help you.