Relationship between insulin resistance and the renin-angiotensin system: Analysis for patients with essential and renovascular hypertension

Insulin resistance is frequently observed in patients with essential hypertension (EHT), and the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) has been demonstrated to modulate the status of insulin resistance. The aims of present study are to investigate the relationship between systemic RAS and insulin resistance in 82 patients with EHT and compare the impact of RAS to insulin resistance with 10 renovascular hypertension (RVHT) patients who have a highly activated systemic RAS. From patients who were admitted to our hospital, patients with overt diabetes and hypertensives who had secondary HT except RVHT or chronic renalfailure were excluded. Plasma renin activity (PRA) was used as an indicator of systemic RAS activity. HOMA-R as an index of insulin resistance and sum of immunoreactive insulin (IRI) during glucose tolerance test (Sigma IRI) and IRI at 120 minutes (IRI120) were used as indices of hyperinsulinemia. In the EHT patients, circulating PRA showed an independent relationship with IRI120 and Sigma IRI after adjusting confounding factors (IRI120: t=2.70, p=0.01, Sigma IRI: t=3.05, p < 0.001). Excluding patients who were taking angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin II type I receptor blocker (ARBs), the relationship remained in univariate linear regression; after adjustment for confounding factors, PRA showed a tendency to be correlated with Sigma IRI However, there was no significant relationship between PRA and indices of insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia in patients with RVHT In conclusion, the systemic RAS may modulate insulin sensitivity in EHT patients.