Fasting plasma insulin. A risk factor for abnormal electrocardiogram in Maltese residents of Australia

Analysis of atherogenic risk factors in 493 Maltese-born residents of Melbourne showed that after adjustment for the effects of age, fasting plasma insulin was the only factor with a highly significant (p = less than 0.001) association with electrocardiogram abnormalities suggestive of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. Absence of peripheral arterial pulses was not correlated with abnormal electrocardiogram but was significantly associated with both age and smoking. Elevation of plasma insulin appears to be a significant risk factor for atherosclerotic heart disease.