Sympathetic Nerve Hyperactivity Precedes Hyperinsulinemia and Blood Pressure Elevation in a Young, Nonobese Japanese Population

To evaluate the relationships between to that in NT without BP-E. Supine plasma NE level at entry period and year 10 in NT with BP-E sympathetic nerve activity, insulin sensitivity, and blood pressure ( BP ) elevation, we examined BP, was significantly greater than that in subjects without BP-E ( P .05, P .01, respectively ) . fasting blood glucose, plasma insulin, and norepinephrine ( NE ) levels in age-and body Supine NE in BHT regardless of BP-E was significantly greater than that in NT at both entry mass index ( BMI ) -matched 662 normotensive ( NT ) and 188 borderline hypertensive ( BHT ) and year 10. These results demonstrate that sympathetic nerve hyperactivity appears to subjects every year for 10 years. All measurements were taken in the supine position after an precede hyperinsulinemia and resultant BP elevation in a young, nonobese Japanese overnight fast. BP elevation ( BP-E ) during 10 years was defined as 10% or more elevation of population. 1997 American Journal of Hypertension, Ltd. Am J Hypertens Am J mean BP when compared with BP at entry. BP-E was noted in 186 ( 28% ) of NT and in 52 ( 28% ) of Hypertens 1997; 10:77 -83 BHT. Fasting insulin level at entry in BHT with BP-E was significantly greater than that in KEY WORDS: Sympathetic nerve activity, insulin sensitivity, blood pressure elevation, subjects without BP-E ( P .01 ) , although fasting insulin level in NT with BP-E at entry was similar normotension, borderline hypertension, Japanese. T dyslipidemia. 1 -8 It is also well documented that sympathetic nerve activity is related with the etiology of hypertension 9 -13 and that the degree of sympathetic nerve activity is different in various stages of hyper-here is a large body of epidemiological and clinical evidence for the close association of hypertension with abnormalities of glucose tolerance, insulin resistant state, obesity, and tension: increased sympathetic nerve activity being particularly prominent in the earlier hyperkinetic hypertensive stage. 14 Recently, Ward et al 15 reported