title: Insulin sensitivity in pre-eclampsia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether pre-eclampsia is associated with an exaggeration of the insulin resistance seen in normotensive pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Minimal model analysis of a frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test to assess insulin sensitivity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Royal Maternity Hospital, Belfast.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eleven women with pre-eclampsia and 11 matched normotensive pregnant women.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Insulin sensitivity (S(I)) was increased in the group with pre-eclampsia compared with the normotensive women (mean [+/-SEM]: 2.6 [0.4] vs 1.6 [0.2] 10(-4) min(-1) per mU/L; P = 0.028). This was accompanied by a decrease in glucose effectiveness (SG) (1.1+/-0.1 vs 1.7+/-0.1 10(-2)min(-1), P = 0.006) in the pre-eclamptic women. In the normotensive group there was a significant inverse correlation between S(I)and mean arterial blood pressure (r = -0.65; P = 0.03), but no such relation existed in the group with pre-eclampsia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As with other forms of secondary hypertension, and unlike essential hypertension, the pathophysiology of pre-eclampsia is not associated with insulin resistance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Queen's University of Belfast, UK.
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Henriksen
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Hadden
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D015309:Glucose Clamp Technique; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000032:analysis; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin