Insulin resistance in essential hypertension

ABSTRACT

The study was conducted on a total number of 31 non obese adults of both sexes. They were divided into 2 groups 21 otherwise healthy, untreated hypertensive patients and 10 normal controls. All the subjects were tested by routine investigations; including liver and kidney function tests. They were exposed to an oral glucose insulin tolerance test extended for two hours with simultaneous serum potassium assessment. We restricted our study on those with a normal glucose tolerance test. Our patients showed significant hyperinsulinemia of all the samples of the curve, and in spite of this, relative hyperglycemia. Insulin sensitivity was studied by the [A] value, the insulin area and lastly the glucose/insulin ratio. In all the patients, we found statistically significant insulin resistance as compared to the control subjects by the 3 equations, with a P value < 0.001. The degree of this resistance was not found to be in concordance with the degree of hypertension, thus pointing to other factors; e.g. dietary factors, degree of physical activity or the duration of hypertension as related to the degree of this resistance. The potassium levels were normally responsive to the released insulin thus excluding it as a parameter of insulin resistance