Essential Hypertension (EH) is correlated with a metabolic disturbance char
acterized by insulin resistance (IR). In this study, there were observed in
47 subjects with EH and 30 subjects with normal blood pressure. Serum leve
ls of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), serum levels of growth hormone
(GH), the activity of erythrocyte insulin receptors (EIR), and ATP levels i
n erythrocytes, the insulin sensitivity index (ISI) was used to study the c
orrelative factors of essential hypertension. 1. Among patients with EH, IS
I, GH, and low affinity insulin binding sites of EIRs (RT2) were found to b
e in significantly lower amounts, IGF-1 levels and the KDP of the erythrocy
te insulin receptors were noted to be significantly higher. Compared with t
he control group, there was a marked difference between EH group and the co
ntrol group. However, no statistical difference was observed between the hy
pertensive group and the group with normal blood pressure as regards erythr
ocyte ATP levels, high-affinity insulin binding sites of EIRs (RT1), and th
e KD1 of EIRs. 2. In the hypertensive group, the ISI was negatively correla
ted with mean arterial blood pressure (MBP), a family history of hypertensi
on, the body mass index (BMI), the waist-hip ratio (WHR) and IGF-1 levels (
r=-0.619(Delta), -0.354**, -0.386**, -0.472**, -0.298*, Delta p<0.001, **p<
0.01, *p<0.05), were positively correlated with RT2 and GH levels (r= 0.301
**, 0.275*, **p<0.01, *p<0.05). There were no statistically significant di
fferences between ISI and age, sex, smoking history, drinking, RT1, KD1, an
d ATP levels in erythrocytes. 3. The ISI was used as the dependent variable
in multiple linear stepwise regression analysis. MBP (X-1), a family histo
ry of EH (X-2), WHR (X-3), GH (X-4), IGF-1 (X-5), RT2 (X-6), and the body m
ass index (X-7) was used as independent variables. X-1, X-2, X-3, X-5, X-6,
and X-7 were used in the equations. The results indicate that patients wit
h EH also tend to have IR. We suggest that MBP, a family history of hyperte
nsion, BMI, WHR, IGF-1, and RT2 might be independent factors affecting IR i
n cases of essential hypertension.