Do reduced insulin sensitivity and dyslipidemia exist in borderline hypertensive patients?

To evaluate the relationship between insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and blood pressure (BP), we measured BP, blood glucose, plasma insulin (INS) levels, total cholesterol (T-ch), and triglyceride after an overnight fast in 454 Japanese young, nonobese, nondiabetic factory workers, including 226 normotensive (NT), 120 borderline hypertensive (BHT), and 108 essential hypertensive (EHT) subjects. Age and body mass index were strictly matched among the three groups. Fasting INS and T-ch were greater in BHT > EHT > NT (BHT v NT, P < .05; EHT v NT, P < .05). We also recognized significantly positive correlations between T-ch and mean BP (R = 0.39, P = .021), and between fasting INS and mean BP (r = 0.56, P = .013). These results suggest that insulin resistance and dyslipidemia are associated with hypertension in its early stage.