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High Insulin and Blood Pressure

Mar 30, 2011 | By Berit Brogaard
High Insulin and Blood Pressure
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High blood levels of insulin is a typical characteristic of insulin resistance. Insulin resistance and blood pressure are two of the main components of metabolic syndrome, a disorder that is characterized by high blood pressure, or hypertension; fat around the waist; high levels of low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, also known as "bad" cholesterol; high levels of triglycerides; and high levels of glucose. Metabolic syndrome is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

Insulin

When blood sugar, or glucose, levels are high, the pancreas responds by secreting insulin into the bloodstream. Insulin is an important metabolic hormone that helps transport glucose from the bloodstream and into the cells. When it binds to receptors embedded in the cell membranes, its signals normally reach the inside of the cell and cause a glucose transporter to embed in the membrane. The glucose transporter then transports glucose into the cell. Once inside the cell, glucose can convert into energy, glycogen or fat.

High Insulin Levels

For reasons that are not completely understood, obesity and poor diet sometimes impair the insulin receptors embedded in the body's cell membranes. When the receptors are impaired, insulin cannot bind properly to them, or the signal from insulin is not properly transferred to the inside of the cell. As a result, glucose transports from the outside to the inside of the cell at a slow pace. Because the cells do not get energy at a regular pace, they are essentially starving. So the brain tells the pancreas to produce more insulin, which results in the accumulation of insulin and glucose in the bloodstream.

Hypertension

Hypertension is a condition that exists when the top, or systolic, blood-pressure reading is greater than 140 mm Hg, or the bottom, or diastolic, blood-pressure reading is greater than 90 mm Hg. The "mm Hg" stands for millimeters of mercury when air pressure enters a closed tube containing mercury. The systolic blood pressure is the pressure in the arteries when your heart beats, whereas the diastolic blood pressure is the pressure between beats.

Causes of Hypertension

Hypertension is often genetically determined. However, stress, poor sleep habits and poor eating habits can cause hypertension in people who are not genetically predisposed to the condition. Foods that are high in bad cholesterol, such as meat, eggs and dairy products, can contribute to high blood pressure. Stress and poor sleep habits cause the adrenal glands to secrete high quantities of the stress hormone cortisol, which has been linked to high blood pressure.

High Insulin/High Blood Pressure Connection

In many cases, high blood pressure and high blood levels of insulin are both products of stress, poor sleep habits or a poor diet. However, high levels of insulin can also lead to high blood pressure. Though it is not fully known how this happens, one theory is that the high levels of glucose in the bloodstream that are correlated with high insulin levels are a contributing factor. Glucose can bind to protein in the blood, which may result in a constriction of blood vessels. To counteract this condition, the heart must pump harder, which leads to high blood pressure.

References

Article reviewed by TimDog Last updated on: Mar 30, 2011

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