Insulin Resistance, Hyperinsulinemia, and Hypertriglyceridemia in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease Independent of Obesity

• Published in: Angiology 1998-08, Vol.49 (8), p.607-612
• Main Authors: Alexopoulos, Dimitris K., Kyriazopoulou, Venetsana E., Vagenakis, Apostolos G., Psyrogiannis, A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Blood Glucose - analysis; Cardiology. Vascular system; Case-Control Studies; Coronary Disease - blood; Coronary Disease - epidemiology; Coronary heart disease; Female; Glucose Tolerance Test; Heart; Humans; Hyperinsulinism - epidemiology; Hypertriglyceridemia - epidemiology; Insulin Resistance; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Obesity - blood; Obesity - epidemiology; Risk Factors
• ISSN: 0003-3197; 1940-1574
• DOI: 10.1177/000331979804900803

Insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia both in normal persons and those with non- insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) (type 2 diabetes) appears to be related to obesity. It seems also that insulin plays a role in modulating the obesity-related factors (eg, hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia, hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholes terolemia, low concentrations of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) and takes its place among the many risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD) associated with obesity. Insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia could play the same role in pathogenesis of CAD independently of obesity. The authors determined blood glucose and immunoreactive insulin and plasma triglyceride concentrations in the fasting state at 60 and 120 minutes after a glucose load of 75 g in 68 patients (54 men, 14 women) with angiographic evidence of CAD and in 65 healthy volunteers matched to the patients for age, gender, and body mass index (43 men and 22 women). Patients with CAD and the healthy volunteers were categorized as obese (body mass index ≥ 26 kg/m2) and nonobese (body mass index < 26 kg/m2) . Four groups of subjects were analyzed: Group A included 40 healthy (28 men and 12 women) nonobese volunteers; group B, 25 healthy (15 men and 10 women) obese volunteers; group C, 39 (30 men and 9 women) nonobese patients with CAD; and group D, 29 (24 men and 5 women) obese patients with CAD. Fasting and postchallenged 60- and 120-minute glucose values were similar in groups A and C. However, significantly higher insulin values (mU/L) were observed in group C than in group A during fasting (12.2 ±6.2 vs 91 ±3, p