6533b7dafe1ef96bd126f60d

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Insulin, renin-aldosterone system and blood pressure in obese people.

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OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between insulin, the renin-aldosterone system and blood pressure in obese subjects. DESIGN AND METHODS: A cross sectional study of a group of severely obese normotensive subjects who were surgical candidates (n=39; mean BMI: 47.8±1.4) and a group of hypertensive patients (n=57; mean BMI: 28.0±0.7) twenty-nine of whom had BMI>27. All subjects were studied after 15 days on a balanced diet. Insulin, plasma renin activity and aldosterone were measured. RESULTS: Fasting insulin, plasma renin activity and aldosterone were higher in severely obese normotensive subjects than in hypertensive subjects (respectively 32.3±3.0 vs 13.1±1.0 mU/l, P=0.0001; 1.34±0.22 vs 0.88±0.12 ng/ml/h, P=0.04; 137.2±16.2 vs 87.9±12.1 pg/ml, P=0.015). Insulin was related to BMI and to aldosterone both in normotensive and in hypertensive patients. CONCLUSION: Hyperinsulinemia itself does not determine hypertension; in some people it could play a vasodilator role in opposition to the renin-aldosterone system.