Insulin sensitivity and body fat distribution in normotensive offspring of hypertensive parents

• Published in: The Lancet (British edition) 1993-02, Vol.341 (8841), p.327-331
• Main Authors: Allemann, Y., Horber, F.F., Colombo, M., Ferrari, P., Shaw, S., Jaeger, P., Weidmann, P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adipose Tissue - anatomy & histology; Adult; Arterial hypertension. Arterial hypotension; Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Blood Glucose - analysis; Blood pressure; Body Composition; Body fat; Body Mass Index; Bone mass; Bone mineral content; Calorimetry; Calorimetry, Indirect; Carbohydrates; Cardiology. Vascular system; Clinical manifestations. Epidemiology. Investigative techniques. Etiology; Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry; Excretion; Fasting; Fat metabolism; Glucose; Glucose tolerance; Glucose Tolerance Test; Heart rate; Humans; Hypertension; Hypertension - genetics; Hypertension - metabolism; Insulin; Insulin - blood; Intravenous administration; Lipid peroxidation; Lipids; Male; Medical research; Medical sciences; Metabolism; Offspring; Oxidation; Parents; Population studies; Sensitivity; Skinfold thickness
• ISSN: 0140-6736; 1474-547X
• DOI: 10.1016/0140-6736(93)90135-4

Lean, healthy normotensive sons of essential hypertensive parents (OHyp) have lower insulin sensitivity (SI) than sons of normotensive parents (ONorm). We have tried to find out whether this disturbance in insulin metabolism is related to altered body fat distribution, fuel metabolism, or both. 21 OHyp and 21 ONorm of similar age and body-mass index were investigated after fasting overnight. Body composition was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and fuel metabolism by indirect calorimetry and urinary nitrogen excretion. Plasma insulin and glucose concentrations were measured during the frequent sampling intravenous glucose tolerance test, and SI was calculated by the minimum model method. Systolic blood pressure and heart rate were slightly but not significantly higher in OHyp than ONorm but the groups did not differ in fasting plasma insulin or glucose concentrations, carbohydrate or lipid oxidation, lean and fat mass, bone mineral content, or distribution of body fat. By contrast, SI was significantly lower in OHyp than ONorm (8·2 [0·7] vs 13·4 [1·5] 10-4 L mU-1 min-1, p