Serum Immunoreactive Insulin (IRI) and Its Relationship to Obesity, Body Fat Distribution, Blood Pressure and Fasting Blood Glucose in Egyptian Women

Abstract

The present work was focusedd on the relation between the degree of obesity and the pattern of fasting serum insulin levels in obese Egyptian women aged 35-55 years. The relations between insulin, fasting blood glucose, blood pressure, and fat distribution were also investigated.The present results demonstrate a correlation between serum insulin and body mass index (BMI). In addition, anthropometric variables describing body fatness correlated positively with serum insulin.A significantly positive correlation between both systolic and diastolic blood pressure and the fasting serum insulin was observed in the younger age group (35-44 years). This relationship was not present in the older group.A raised fasting serum insulin concentration in the presence of a normal fasting blood glucose was found.The possible connections between obesity, diabetes mellitus, and increased risk of hypertension were suggested. Key Words: immunoreactive insulin, obesity, body fat, blood pressure, blood glucoseMany studies have demonstrated a relationship between obesity and insulin. Most obese people have normal plasma glucose levels, but at the expense of a high insulin concentration [1][2][3][4]. Increased plasma insulin levels result from true pancreatic hypersecretion in both the fasting and fed states. In the nonfasting state, impaired hepatic insulin metabolism may also contribute to the hyperinsulinemia, although there is still disagreement about the importance of this finding [4].