title: Impaired glucose metabolism and reduced insulin clearance in elderly hypertensives.
abstract: Diabetes mellitus and essential hypertension are characterized by a continuous rise of prevalence with aging and this association may not be casual. Thirty nonobese nondiabetic elderly patients with primary hypertension and 28 healthy normotensives matched for age, sex, and body weight were evaluated for insulin secretion (oral glucose tolerance test, day-long glycemic and insulinemic profiles), action (euglycemic moderately hyperinsulinemic glucose clamp associated with 3H-3-glucose dilution technique), and clearance (120 min insulin/glucose infusion at two prefixed doses). Compared with normotensives, hypertensive elderly patients were characterized by the following: 1) plasma insulin and C-peptide were similar in basal conditions but significantly enhanced in response to both oral glucose and a mixed meal; 2) insulin-stimulated glucose uptake was significantly impaired with a similar rate of hepatic glucose production; 3) exogenous insulin metabolic clearance rate was significantly lower at both insulin infusion rates. The multiple alterations of insulin secretion, action and metabolism found in nonobese nondiabetic elderly hypertensives seem to support a role for this hormone in the regulation of arterial blood pressure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics and Metabolic Diseases, First Faculty of Medicine, University of Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Giugliano
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Salvatore
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paolisso
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Buoninconti
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Torella
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Varricchio
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: D'Onofrio
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D002096:C-Peptide / Q000097:blood; D005215:Fasting; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000378:metabolism*; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D009994:Osmolar Concentration
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D002096:C-Peptide; D007328:Insulin; D005947:Glucose