Increased activity of sympathetic nervous system (SNS) was observed in early stage of hypertension onset. The aim of our study was to assess the relationship between catecholamines response to stress stimulus and metabolic risk factors in young males with early-diagnosed non-treated hypertension grade 1 (HT) and normotensive controls (NT).

Methods: 

Insulin tolerance test (ITT) and oral glucose tolerance test (oGTT) were performed in 21 HT male subjects and in 19 NT males. Plasma levels of glucose, insulin, adrenaline, noradrenaline (NA), plasma renin activity (PRA), total and HDL cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), and PAI-1 were determined. Insulin resistance index (IR) HOMA and indices of insulin sensitivity (ISIs) Matsuda, Cederholm and Gutt were calculated.

Results: 

HT subjects had higher levels of baseline NA, insulin and PAI-1 (p < 0.05) and higher levels of NA during ITT (p < 0.05). HT patients had higher IR HOMA (p < 0.01) and lower ISIs (p < 0.001). Baseline concentrations of adrenaline correlated negatively with ISI Matsuda (r=-0.361, p < 0.05), ISI Cederholm (r=-0.354, p < 0.05) and ISI Gutt (r=-0.429, p < 0.01), with HDL cholesterol (r=-0.336, p < 0.05) and positively with PRA (r = 0.499, p < 0.01). Baseline concentrations of NA correlated positively with basal plasma PAI-1 levels (r = 0.433, p < 0.01) and plasma insulin in 2^nd h of oGTT (r = 0.397, p < 0.05) and negatively with ISI Gutt (r=-0.385, p < 0.05).

Conclusions: 

The early stage of onset of hypertension (in normal weight young patients) is associated with sympathetic overactivity. Negative correlation with lower insulin sensitivity and HDL cholesterol suggests SNS contribution to metabolic cardiovascular risk factors.