Inverse association between free insulin-like growth factor-1 and isovolumic relaxation in arterial systemic hypertension

Several trials have suggested that insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) may have a pathophysiological role in the development of arterial essential hypertension. To verify the possible association of IGF-1 with left ventricular morphological and functional echocardiographic parameters in hypertension, we studied 40 male patients with newly diagnosed hypertension and 15 normotensive control subjects. Doppler echocardiography was performed and circulating free IGF-1 levels were determined in all subjects. Circulating free IGF-1 levels were higher in hypertensives than in control subjects (P<0.01). A significant inverse correlation was observed between free IGF-1 and isovolumic relaxation time in the overall population (r=-0.37, P<0.01) and in hypertensives (r=-0.57, P<0.0001), whereas this relation disappears in normotensives. These results were confirmed by multivariate analysis. The present study confirms that arterial essential hypertension represents a clinical condition associated with an increased synthesis of IGF-1. The observation of an inverse, independent association between free IGF-1 and isovolumic relaxation time suggests 2 alternative hypotheses: a possible beneficial effect of IGF-1 to diastolic relaxation or a resistance to IGF-1 in hypertension.