Cytosolic Calcium and Insulin Resistance in Elderly Patients With Essential Hypertension

We evaluated insulin sensitivity in normotensive (blood pressure, BP, less than 135/85 mm Hg) and hypertensive (BP greater than 160/90 mm Hg) elderly subjects over 65 years old who were stratified as normal weight (body mass index, BMI, less than 27) and obese (BMI greater than 27). Obese hypertensive individuals demonstrated marked hyperinsulinemia (P less than .01) and significantly reduced (P less than .05) submaximally stimulated adipocyte 2-deoxyglucose (2-DOG) uptake (abdominal wall fat biopsy). Normal weight hypertensive subjects also demonstrated higher levels of insulinemia and lower insulin-stimulated 2-DOG uptake than nonobese controls. Adipocyte [Ca2+]i levels were elevated in all elderly subjects compared to young individuals (P less than .01). Basal and maximally stimulated 2-DOG uptake were similar in all groups. One month of therapy with a calcium channel blocker, 10 mg nitrendipine twice daily, reduced blood pressure in the hypertensive subjects, reduced plasma insulin to control values during an oral glucose tolerance test in obese hypertensive individuals (P less than .01), and restored adipocyte 2-DOG uptake at submaximally effective insulin concentration to control values in normal weight and obese hypertensive subjects. In summary, older hypertensive, and particularly older obese hypertensive, patients manifest significant insulin resistance accompanied by elevated levels of [Ca2+]i in their adipocytes.