Carotid wall thickening, left ventricular hypertrophy, and insulin resistance in patients with hypertension.
BACKGROUND
Insulin resistance was associated with hypertension and coronary artery disease, and might play a role in the development of carotid atherosclerosis and cardiac hypertrophy.


METHODS
The relationship of insulin resistance, estimated by steady-state plasma glucose (SSPG) with the B-mode ultrasound-measured carotid intima-medial thickness (IMT) and the M-mode echocardiographically determined left ventricular mass (LVM), was examined in 82 Chinese patients with hypertension.


RESULTS
Insulin-resistant patients with obesity, glucose intolerance, dyslipidemia, and hypofibrinolysis show no significantly greater LVM index and carotid IMT than nonresistant individuals. Patients with either left ventricular hypertrophy or carotid wall thickening did not present significantly higher SSPG than those without these abnormalities. Neither carotid IMT nor LVM was associated with SSPG on multiple regression analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
The study suggested that insulin resistance was not an important contributor for carotid thickening and cardiac hypertrophy in Chinese patients with hypertension.
Jeng
Jing-Ren
JR
Division of Cardiology, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China. jrjeng@ms5.hinet.net
D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values
D001786:Blood Glucose