| Abstract: | The association of blood pressure with clinical and biochemical measures was studied in 185 newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetic patients, 74 impaired-glucose-tolerant (IGT) and 128 non-diabetic control subjects. Hyperglycaemic subjects were older than control subjects (controls 40 (24–59) years, IGT 48 (29–64) years, diabetic 43 (29–60) years, median (5th-95th centile) both p < 0.05). They were also more obese (body mass index (BMI) controls 23.5 kg m?2 (17.2–29.9), IGT 26.0 kg m?2 (19.8–33.9), diabetic 24.2 kg m?2 (19.3–32.2)) and with a greater waist-hip ratio (controls 0.83 (0.70–0.98), IGT 0.88 (0.75–0.98), diabetic 0.89 (0.75–1.00)). Blood pressure was significantly higher in both IGT (systolic 127mmHg (108–162), diastolic 80 mmHg (66–99)) and diabetic patients (systolic 130 mmHg (104–160), diastolic 84 mmHg (66–102)) compared to non-diabetic controls (systolic 120 mmHg (100–151), diastolic 80 mmHg (60–94)). Univariate analysis showed that in diabetic patients systolic blood pressure was related to age (r = 0.17, p < 0.05), BMI (r= 0.23, p < 0.01) and plasma immunoreactive insulin (fasting and post glucose, r= ? 0.25, p<0.01) but not to C-peptide concentrations; diastolic blood pressure to BMI (r= 0.35, p < 0.001), waist-hip ratio (r = 0.23, p < 0.01) and plasma immunoreactive insulin (fasting r= 0.30, p < 0.001, post glucose r = ? 0.20, p < 0.05) but not to C-peptide concentrations. Multivariate analysis revealed that systolic blood pressure in diabetic patients was related to BMI (p < 0.01) and fasting immunoreactive insulin (p < 0.05) while diastolic blood pressure was related to BMI (p < 0.001) and waist-hip ratio (p < 0.01). Thus, blood pressure is associated with obesity even in our relatively non-obese population and it is also associated with plasma immunoreactive insulin concentrations. The mechanism of these associations remains to be established. |
