[Relations between blood insulin and blood pressure in the aged]

Correlation between insulinemia (basal and glucose-stimulated) and blood pressure parameters was investigated in 29 elderly subjects (age 78 +/- 1.5 yr, mean +/- SEM). Fasting insulinemia directly correlated with mean arterial pressure and the sum of insulinemias during oral glucose tolerance test correlated with systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressure as well. No relationship was found between blood pressure parameters and basal and stimulated glycemia or blood nitrogen. These data suggest that insulin could be involved in the rise of blood pressure commonly seen in the elderly