Hyperinsulinemia is not a cause of cortisol-induced hypertension.

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Whitworth JA, Williamson PM, Brown MA, Colman P

Hyperinsulinemia is not a cause of cortisol-induced hypertension.

Am J Hypertens. 1994 Jun;7(6):562-5.

PubMed ID

7917157 [ View in PubMed

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Abstract

There is much interest in the relationship of hypertension to hyperinsulinemia. Six male volunteers received cortisol, 50 mg orally four times daily, for 5 days. Plasma insulin concentration increased from 11.8 +/- 3.0 mU/L to 16.1 +/- 4.0 mU/L (P = .034). Fasting glucose increased from 4.7 +/- 0.3 to 5.8 +/- 0.1 mmol/L (P = .001). The insulin-to-glucose ratio was unchanged. Octreotide has been reported to lower blood pressure in obese, hyperinsulinemic, hypertensive patients. The hypothesis that cortisol-induced hypertension might be secondary to steroid-induced hyperinsulinemia was examined by determining whether reversal of hyperinsulinemia by octreotide would reverse cortisol-induced hypertension. Five healthy men were given two subcutaneous injections of 0.05 mg of octreotide before and on the fifth day of cortisol administration. Cortisol increased blood pressure, weight, plasma glucose concentration, and white cell count, with decreases in plasma potassium concentration and packed cell volume. Plasma cortisol concentrations were unchanged following octreotide in the control period but decreased after cortisol treatment. Insulin concentrations were reduced profoundly after octreotide, both in the control period (12.5 +/- 3.7 mU/L, falling to 1.1 +/- 0.3 mU/L at 30 min) and on cortisol (22.3 +/- 4.5 to 2.3 +/- 0.5 mU/L at 30 min). Octreotide did not lower pressure before or after cortisol treatment. Thus, octreotide was effective in lowering plasma insulin concentrations but di not lower blood pressure in normal subjects with cortisol-induced hypertension. These data do not support the notion that steroid-induced hyperinsulinemia is responsible for steroid-induced hypertension.

DrugBank Data that Cites this Article

Pharmaco-proteomics

Drug	Drug Groups	Gene	Gene ID	Change	Interaction	Chromosome
Hydrocortisone	Approved Vet Approved	INS	3630	increased	Hydrocortisone results in increased expression of INS protein	11p15.5
Hydrocortisone	Approved Vet Approved	INS	3630	increased	Hydrocortisone results in increased expression of INS protein	11p15.5
Octreotide	Approved Investigational	INS	3630	decreased	Octreotide results in decreased expression of INS protein	11p15.5