High blood pressure is prevalent in obesity and diabetes, especially noninsulin dependent diabetes mellitus, and both conditions are insulin resistant state.

To test whether resistance to insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and hyperinsulinemia are involved in the pochogenesis of hypertension, author measured glucose, insulin and C-Peptide reponse after oral glucose loading in 52 cases of essential hypertension and 62 cases of normal controls who had been admitted to the ward of internal medicine, Pusan National University Hospita.

Basal plasma glucose, insulin and C-Peptide levels in control subjects were 92.1±36.8mg/dl, 8.7±5.5µu/ml and 2.2±1.8ng/ml and in hypertensive subjects were 95.7±32.6mg/dl, 12.2±5.3µu/ml and 2.9±1.6ng/ml. The basal insulin level was markedly higher than tat of control subjets (p<0.05). The basal glucose and C-Peptide levels in hypertensive patioents were higher than controls but statistically not significant.

Plasma glucose levels in time course after glucose load in hypertensive patients showed significantly higher levels in 60,90minutes than controls.

Plasma insulin levels in hypertensives in 90 minutes were significantly higher. The C-Peptide levels in hypertensives showed significantly higher in each times 30,60,90,120 minutes than controls. In hypertensive patients, body weight, blood pressure levels and duration of hypertension were not significantly correlated with responses of glucose, insalin and c-peptioce. Hypertensive patients aboce the age of 50 showed significantly higher glucose levels in 60,90,120 minutes than under age of 50.

These results indicate some tendency of disturbed glucose turnover or insulin-resistant state in essential hypertension. This metabolic disturbance in essential hypertension should be considered in the management of hypertensive patients.