(Hypertension. 1996;27:276-280.)
© 1996 American Heart Association, Inc.
Articles |
Sympathetic Nerve Activity and Insulin in Obese Normotensive and Hypertensive Men
From The Lundberg Laboratory for Diabetes Research, Department of Internal Medicine (S.G., P.L.) and Institute of Clinical Neurosciences (Department of Neurophysiology) (Y.B.S., B.G.W., M.E.), Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden.
Correspondence to Soffia Gudbjörnsdóttir, The Lundberg Laboratory for Diabetes Research, Department of Internal Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, S-41345 Göteborg, Sweden.
Abstract The relationship between resting levels of muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSA) and blood pressure is a matter of controversy. Body weight has recently been identified as an independent determinant of muscle sympathetic discharge, which may have influenced previous studies focused on MSA and mechanisms of hypertension. In the present study, we measured resting MSA and plasma insulin levels in 18 obese (body mass index, 32±4 kg/m2) (mean±SD), middle-aged (52±6 years), hypertensive (155±11/97±8 mm Hg) subjects and 16 age- and body mass index–matched normotensive control subjects. In the postabsorptive state, resting MSA was similar in the hypertensive and normotensive groups (43±4 versus 39±3 bursts per minute, 69±5 versus 64±5 bursts per 100 heart beats, P=NS) (mean±SEM) and did not correlate with either systolic or diastolic blood pressure. Weak but significant positive correlations were found between resting MSA and both fasting insulin levels (P<.05) and body mass index (P=.05) in hypertensive but not normotensive subjects. There was a strong positive correlation between fasting insulin and body mass index in both normotensive subjects and the entire study group (P<.005). Fasting insulin and body mass index correlated with diastolic blood pressure (P<.05) in the entire study group. In conclusion, a relationship between fasting insulin, body mass index, and blood pressure was confirmed, whereas only a weak correlation was found between MSA and fasting insulin in hypertensive but not normotensive subjects. The fact that MSA was similar in the two groups argues strongly against augmented MSA being important for the maintenance of hypertension, at least in middle-aged, obese men.
Key Words: microneurography • sympathetic nerve activity • hypertension • insulin • obesity
This article has been cited by other articles:
 |
|
 |
|
  A. V. Agapitov, M. L. d. G. Correia, C. A. Sinkey, and W. G. Haynes Dissociation Between Sympathetic Nerve Traffic and Sympathetically Mediated Vascular Tone in Normotensive Human Obesity Hypertension, October 1, 2008; 52(4): 687 - 695. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. J. Joyner, N. Charkoudian, and B. G. Wallin A sympathetic view of the sympathetic nervous system and human blood pressure regulation Exp Physiol, June 1, 2008; 93(6): 715 - 724. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C. L. Gentile, J. S. Orr, B. M. Davy, and K. P. Davy Modest weight gain is associated with sympathetic neural activation in nonobese humans Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, May 1, 2007; 292(5): R1834 - R1838. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. J. Huggett, J. Burns, A. F. Mackintosh, and D. A.S.G. Mary Sympathetic Neural Activation in Nondiabetic Metabolic Syndrome and Its Further Augmentation by Hypertension Hypertension, December 1, 2004; 44(6): 847 - 852. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. P. Greenwood, E. M. Scott, J. B. Stoker, and D. A. S. G. Mary Hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy: relation to peripheral sympathetic drive J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., November 15, 2001; 38(6): 1711 - 1717. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
N. I. Abate, Y. H. Mansour, M. Tuncel, D. Arbique, B. Chavoshan, A. Kizilbash, T. Howell-Stampley, W. Vongpatanasin, and R. G. Victor Overweight and Sympathetic Overactivity in Black Americans Hypertension, September 1, 2001; 38(3): 379 - 383. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. Weyer, R. E. Pratley, S. Snitker, M. Spraul, E. Ravussin, and P. A. Tataranni Ethnic Differences in Insulinemia and Sympathetic Tone as Links Between Obesity and Blood Pressure Hypertension, October 1, 2000; 36(4): 531 - 537. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. Grassi, G. Seravalle, R. Dell'Oro, C. Turri, G. B. Bolla, and G. Mancia Adrenergic and Reflex Abnormalities in Obesity-Related Hypertension Hypertension, October 1, 2000; 36(4): 538 - 542. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. P. Greenwood, J. B. Stoker, and D. A. S. G. Mary Single-Unit Sympathetic Discharge : Quantitative Assessment in Human Hypertensive Disease Circulation, September 21, 1999; 100(12): 1305 - 1310. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. C. Fletcher, G. Bao, and R. Li Renin Activity and Blood Pressure in Response to Chronic Episodic Hypoxia Hypertension, August 1, 1999; 34(2): 309 - 314. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. A. Supiano, R. V. Hogikyan, M. A. Sidani, A. T. Galecki, and J. L. Krueger Sympathetic nervous system activity and alpha -adrenergic responsiveness in older hypertensive humans Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, March 1, 1999; 276(3): E519 - E528. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 Y. B. Sverrisdóttir, M. Elam, H. Herlitz, B.-A. Bengtsson, and G. Johannsson Intense Sympathetic Nerve Activity in Adults with Hypopituitarism and Untreated Growth Hormone Deficiency J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., June 1, 1998; 83(6): 1881 - 1885. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|