title: The relationship of fasting insulin levels to vascular risk factors in a general practice in Northern Ireland.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between insulin and vascular risk factors in a healthy male population at high risk of ischaemic heart disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Computer-generated random number selection of subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  A suburban general practice population (total practice population 4500) in Northern Ireland.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four hundred male subjects, aged 35-65 years, were randomly selected with 273 responding.
  
  
  METHODS
  At interview, each subject completed a questionnaire, had blood pressure measured and a 12-lead ECG recorded. The next morning, fasting blood samples were taken and a timed overnight urine collection for the albumin excretion rate was returned.
  
  
  RESULTS
  To exclude the confounding effects of other variables on insulin concentrations, a healthy nonobese, nondiabetic, normotensive group with no history of ischaemic heart disease, no family history of diabetes and not taking drugs was identified (n = 120). Within this group there was a significant correlation between insulin and triglyceride (r = 0.30; P < 0.05), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (r = 0.24; P < 0.05) and glucose (r = 0.30; P < 0.05). A group with higher insulin levels (n = 22) were compared to a group with lower insulin levels (n = 22). Serum triglyceride was higher (1.29 +/- 0.1 vs. 1.00 +/- 0.08 mmol L-1; P < 0.05), HDL cholesterol was lower (1.26 +/- 0.06 vs. 1.50 +/- 0.09 mmol L-1; P < 0.05) and plasma glucose higher (5.2 +/- 0.1 vs. 4.9 +/- 0.1 mmol L-1; P < 0.05) in the group with higher insulin levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a relationship between insulin and triglyceride, HDL cholesterol and glucose but not blood pressure, cholesterol or low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in a healthy population at high risk of ischaemic heart disease.
authors.affiliation: Sir George E. Clark Metabolic Unit, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
authors.forename: O L
authors.initials: OL
authors.lastname: Beatty
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Atkinson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Browne
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sheridan
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005194:Family Practice; D005215:Fasting / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009660:Northern Ireland; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D008055:Lipids