Prehypertension is associated with insulin resistance.
BACKGROUND
Prehypertension, a new category of blood pressure (BP) classification introduced by The Seven Report of the Joint National Commission (JNC-7) on High BP for individuals with systolic BP in the range of 120-139 mmHg or diastolic BP between 80 and 89 mmHg, is a strong predictor for the development of hypertension. Insulin resistance (IR) has been proposed to be a key feature of metabolic abnormalities of hypertension and may precede the elevation of BP.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of the study is to evaluate whether prehypertension is associated with IR.


METHODS
This is a cross-sectional study.


METHODS
Anthropometric and BP measurements were performed in 83 prehypertensive subjects and 192 normotensives. All subjects received a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) for the measurements of IR.


RESULTS
The prehypertensive subjects were more obese and had higher levels of fasting triglycerides and 2-h insulin than the normotensives. The subjects with prehypertension were more insulin resistant than the counterparts, indicated by lower insulin sensitivity index, ISI(0,120), values. While there was no difference between the two groups in insulin response of OGTT after adjustments for confounders, the prehypertension group maintained significant between-group differences in glucose response even when the incremental insulin levels were added to covariates for adjustments.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data show that prehypertension is associated with IR. The subjects with prehypertension have clinical characteristics of the IR syndrome. It seems that the prehypertension group cannot handle oral glucose challenge as well as the normotension, probably a consequence of IR in prehypertension.
Hwu
C-M
CM
Section of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 112, Taiwan. chhwu@vghtpe.gov.tw
Liou
T-L
TL
Hsiao
L-C
LC
Lin
M-W
MW
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D058246:Prehypertension / Q000503:physiopathology*
D001786:Blood Glucose