INSULIN AND BLOOD-PRESSURE AMONG HEALTHY-CHILDREN - CARDIOVASCULAR RISK IN YOUNG FINNS

We evaluated the role of insulin in regulating and predicting blood pr essure among 3596 to 2799 Finnish children and adolescents aged 3 to 1 8 years who were followed from 1980 to 1986. Blood pressure, weight, a nd height were measured in three surveys 3 years apart. Fasting blood samples were drawn and serum insulin was analyzed. The effect of insul in on blood pressure was evaluated in each of the 3 study years, toget her with the effect of fasting insulin on future blood pressure and th e effect of insulin on the change in blood pressure. We also analyzed the correlation between insulin and blood pressure in different age gr oups and the correlation between change in insulin and change in blood pressure. A constant positive correlation was found between insulin a nd both systolic and diastolic (Korotkoff's fifth phase) blood pressur es measured in the respective years (correlation coefficients 0.10 to 0.41 and partial correlation coefficients 0.02 to 0.15), except betwee n insulin and diastolic blood pressure in the first-two surveys in ter ms of partial correlation and multiple regression analysis. Similarly insulin and blood pressure correlated positively in every age group. I nsulin measured in 1980 or 1983 predicted systolic blood pressure as m easured 3 and 6 years later (correlation coefficients 0.30 to 0.47 and partial correlation coefficients 0.06 to 0.13), and likewise diastoli c blood pressure as measured 3 and 6 years later (correlation coeffici ents 0.17 to 0.35 and partial correlation coefficients 0.05 to 0.08), except among the males in 1983. Correlation between insulin and the ch ange in blood pressure was not significant or remained marginal. Simil arly, the correlation between change in insulin and change in blood pr essure was not significant or remained marginal. We suggest that insul in seems to regulate actual blood pressure within the normal range and to predict future blood pressure among children and adolescents, inde pendently of age and weight. However, insulin does not enhance the ris e in blood pressure.