Relationship between Carotid Atherosclerosis and Insulin Resistance in Elderly Hypertensive Patients

Objective To observe the characteristics in elderly hypertensive patients with carotid atherosclerosis,and the relationship between insulin resistance in elderly patients with hypertension and atherosclerosis.Methods 293 patients were divided into 3 groups:simple hypertension(EH)group with 98 cases;hypertension with diabetes mellitus(EH DM)group was 103 cases;and the control group which was 92 cases of normal blood pressure.All patients underwent carotid ultrasound intima-media thickness(IMT)test.Determination of fasting blood glucose and insulin,ambulatory blood pressure,triglycerides,cholesterol,high density lipoprotein,BMI,calculated homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index(HOMA-IR),and correlation analysis of cardiovascular risk factors.Results Carotid artery IMT was positively correlated to HOMA-IR,BMI and fasting blood glucose;Carotid artery IMT,FBG,lipids,BMI were significantly higher in EH DM group than that in EH group(P0.05);and those were also significantly higher in EH group than in control group(P0.05).Conclusion IMT was significantly higher in the elderly with hypertensive and diabetes mellitus,DM and EH can be accelerated with the development of carotid atherosclerosis,and are closely related to insulin resistance and hypertension development.