Digoxin-like immunoreactivity may contribute to hyperinsulinemia-associated hypertension in patients with glucose intolerance.

The role of endogenous digitalis-like factors in the pathogenesis of the hypertension associated with impaired glucose tolerance was investigated by measuring plasma digoxin-like immunoreactivity (DLI). Mean blood pressure correlated significantly with the obesity index, serum insulin-like immunoreactivity (IRI), and plasma DLI concentrations in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Plasma DLI concentrations also correlated significantly with the obesity index and serum IRI concentrations. Because increased insulin has been proposed to promote sodium reabsorption, sodium retention in turn has presumably caused an increase of natriuretic, digitalis-like factors reflected by the increased plasma DLI concentrations in patients with IGT. Consequently, increased DLI may contribute to the elevated arterial pressure in patients with hyperinsulinemia.