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

International Journal of Obesity volume 25, pages 239–242 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

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.

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Acknowledgements

This work was partially funded by MURST (Ministero per l'Università e la Ricerca Scientifica e Tecnologica) with ‘60% quotas’.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Istituto di Clinica Medica e Malattie Cardiovascolari, Università di Palermo, Palermo, Italy

    G Andronico, S Cottone, MT Mangano, R Ferraro-Mortellaro, L Ferrara, G Mulé & G Cerasola

  2. Dipartmento di Discipline Chirurgiche, Anatomiche ed Oncologiche, Università di Palermo, Palermo, Italy

    G Baiardi & N Grassi

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  1. G Andronico
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  2. S Cottone
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  3. MT Mangano
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Correspondence to G Andronico.

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Andronico, G., Cottone, S., Mangano, M. et al. Insulin, renin-aldosterone system and blood pressure in obese people. Int J Obes 25, 239–242 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801483

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