Insulin resistance as cause of increased blood pressure in the elderly: effects on intracellular ion contents

Abstract Previous reports have evidenced a strong relationship between high plasma insulin levels and blood pressure in diabetic and obese subjects but not in the elderly. During aging many patho-physiological changes in cardiovascular functions and autonomic nervous system occur, so that aging per se might be a cause of a “physiological’ increase in blood pressure. Nevertheless, an insulin resistance also develops during aging. The present study investigates the possible role of age-dependent insulin resistance in the genesis of increased blood pressure. Our data show that insulin resistance calculated by the glucose infusion rate during a euglycemic hyperinsulinemic glucose clamp procedure is significantly correlated with the insulin-mediated net decrease in erythrocyte Na + content ( r = 0.58, P + ( r = 0.64, P 2+ ( r = 0.67, P r = −0.63, P