Left Ventricular Concentric Remodeling Rather Than Left Ventricular Hypertrophy Is Related to the Insulin Resistance Syndrome in Elderly Men

BACKGROUND: Associations between left ventricular (LV) geometry and the insulin resistance syndrome have been found, mostly in small studies of middle-aged hypertensives. The purpose of this study was to elucidate these associations through the use of a large sample of elderly men. METHODS AND RESULTS: We investigated 475 men (157 hypertensives) 71 years of age who were attending a population-based health survey in Uppsala County with echocardiography, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp, and lipid and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. LV relative wall thickness was significantly related to clamp insulin sensitivity index (r=-0.14), fasting insulin, 32-33 split proinsulin, triglycerides, nonesterified fatty acids, OGTT glucose and insulin levels, waist-to-hip ratio, body mass index, 24-hour blood pressure, and heart rate (r=0.10 to 0.22). Only 24-hour systolic pressure (r=0. 15), OGTT 2-hour insulin (r=-0.10), and heart rate (r=-0.14) were significantly related to LV mass index. Comparing subjects with various LV geometry (normal, concentric remodeling and concentric and eccentric hypertrophy) showed that 24-hour heart rate, OGTT glucose and insulin levels, waist-to-hip ratio, and body mass index were significantly higher (P<0.001 to 0.05) and clamp insulin sensitivity index was significantly lower (P<0.01) in the concentric remodeling geometry group than in the normal LV geometry group. The 24-hour blood pressure was significantly higher in the concentric hypertrophy group than in the normal LV geometry group (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Several components of the insulin resistance syndrome were related to thick LV walls and concentric remodeling but less to LV hypertrophy in this population-based sample of elderly men.