RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HEMORHEOLOGICAL FACTORS AND INSULIN SENSITIVITY IN NORMOTENSIVE AND HYPERTENSIVE PREMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

The present study aimed at testing a possible relationship between hem orheologic factors such as hematocrit and whole blood viscosity, and i nsulin sensitivity in premenopausal, hypertensive (HT), and normotensi ve (NT) women. Fourteen HT and 12 NT women were studied with the hyper insulinemic euglycemic glucose clamp technique. Insulin sensitivity wa s similar in NT and HT (8.7 +/- 0.8 v 7.6 +/- 0.8 arbitrary units). Wh ole blood viscosity did not differ between the two groups at any shear rate (shear rate 5.2 sec(-1): 7.5 +/- 0.4 in NT and 8.0 +/- 0.3 in HT , P = NS). Statistically significant negative correlations were observ ed between the insulin sensitivity index and calculated whole blood vi scosity at both high (r = -0.49, P < .01) and low shear rates (r = -0. 50, P < .01, n = 26). Insulin sensitivity index was also negatively co rrelated to body mass index in the combined groups (r = -0.40, P = .04 ), and to both systolic and diastolic blood pressure (r = -0.44, P = . 02 and r = -0.38, P = .05, respectively). In multiple regression analy sis, whole blood viscosity, body mass index, systolic, and diastolic b lood pressure accounted for 39% of the variation in insulin sensitivit y index, but only whole blood viscosity was an independent explanatory variable for the insulin sensitivity index. These results suggest hem orheologic, and therefore indirectly hemodynamic factors as correlates to insulin sensitivity.