Objective: To explore the relationship between left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and serum insulin changes in normotensive patients.
Methods: Forty-two normotensive patients with LVH, who were free of hypertension, coronary artery disease and diabetes, were examined for fasting serum insulin, glucose and serum lipids, and the left ventricular mass (LVM) and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) were also measured with echocardiography, with 46 normal subjects serving as the control group.
Results: The levels of fasting triglyceride and insulin, as well as insulin resistance index (IRI), were higher in the LVH group than in the control group. Multifactor regression analysis showed that IRI was positively correlated to LVM and LVMI in LVH group (r=0.38, P<0.01; r=0.29, P<0.01).
Conclusion: Hyperinsulinemia is closely correlated with LVH in these normotensive patients, and can be involved in the pathogenesis and progression of LVH.