Insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, and hypertension: an epidemiologic approach

During the past 2 decades, numerous experimental studies have provided solid evidence for the existence of several mechanisms connecting insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia with blood pressure elevation, within the context of the cardiometabolic syndrome. In parallel, several groups have attempted to examine these associations from an epidemiologic perspective, but relevant findings were less consistent and not extensively discussed. Hyperinsulinemia has been associated with high blood pressure levels and hypertension development in cross-sectional, case-control, and prospective cohort studies. An association between insulin resistance and hypertension is also evident in existing studies, but prospective data on this relation are limited. Moreover, most of the evidence supporting close associations between these factors derives from Caucasian and Japanese populations, whereas data in other populations are not in agreement. This review summarizes and evaluates the relevant epidemiologic evidence to elucidate an important aspect of the relationship between hypertension and the cardiometabolic syndrome.