Obesity worsens cardiovascular risk profiles independently of hyperinsulinaemia.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether human obesity is characterized by a worse cardiovascular risk profile (than no obesity) even in the absence of hyperinsulinaemia.


METHODS
A total of 367 healthy subjects (247 nonobese and 120 obese) with normal glucose tolerance and without family history of diabetes mellitus.


METHODS
A 75-g oral glucose tolerance test was performed in all participants.


METHODS
Anthropometry, blood pressure, fasting plasma lipids and urate, plasma glucose and insulin concentrations at fasting, 1 h and 2 h after oral glucose load.


RESULTS
In a multivariate linear regression analysis, body mass index was strongly related to all cardiovascular risk factors, independently of sex, age and plasma insulin. When risk factors were compared in 37 normoinsulinaemic obese subjects (plasma insulin within one standard deviation of the mean values observed in the 247 nonobese subjects), and in 37 sex- and age-matched normoinsulinaemic nonobese subjects, we found that plasma glucose levels were similar in the two groups, whereas plasma triglyceride (1.50 +/- 0.13 vs. 1.13 +/- 0.08 mmol L-1; mean +/- SE), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (3.42 +/- 0.25 vs. 2.77 +/- 0.18 mmol L-1) and urate (290 +/- 12 vs. 255 +/- 12 mumol L-1) levels were significantly higher, and plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations were lower (1.27 +/- 0.04 vs. 1.46 +/- 0.06 mmol L-1) in obese than in nonobese subjects with normal plasma insulin levels (P < 0.01). Also systolic (132 +/- 2 vs. 124 +/- 2 mmHg) and diastolic (86 +/- 1 vs. 81 +/- 1 mmHg) blood pressure values were significantly higher in normoinsulinaemic obese subjects than in normoinsulinaemic nonobese individuals (P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that in human obesity a worse cardiovascular risk profile is found (than in the nonobese) independently of the presence of hyperinsulinaemia.
Bonora
E
E
Division of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, University of Verona Medical School, Italy.
Targher
G
G
Zenere
M B
MB
Saggiani
F
F
Alberiche
M P
MP
Branzi
P
P
Muggeo
M
M
D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D006946:Hyperinsulinism / Q000150:complications*; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D016014:Linear Models; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood
D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D008055:Lipids; D014527:Uric Acid