Aim: To analyse relationships between blood insulin concentration, renin-angiotensin-aldosteron system and clinical picture of hypertension.
Materials and methods: Measurements of insulin, renin, aldosteron, angiotensin I, total cholesterol, HDLP cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood were made in 60 males with essential hypertension. The examination also included echo-CG, glucose tolerance test, Ketle's index estimation.
Results: Patients suffering from essential hypertension with borderline hyperinsulinemia (insulin within 5.7-12.7 mcU/ml) were characterized by a combination of blood hypertension with a metabolic disorder (obesity or defects in carbohydrate metabolism), activation of renin-angiotensin-aldosteron system and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. Patients with essential hypertension and marked hyperinsulinemia (insulin exceeded 12.7 mcU/ml) had manifest metabolic syndrome (hypertension, obesity, disturbance of carbohydrate metabolism and hypertriglyceridemia), hyperactivity of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, elevated diastolic arterial pressure, remodelling of left ventricular myocardium with development of its concentric hypertrophy and impairment of the diastolic function.
Conclusion: It is suggested that enhanced activity of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system may underlie development of insulin-resistance and hyperinsulinemia. The latter plays a significant pathogenetic role in forming clinical picture of essential hypertension in insulin levels > 12.7 mcU/ml.