Insulin, insulin-like growth factor-1, and insulin resistance in women with pregnancy-induced hypertension

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess insulin, insulin sensitivity, and insulin-like growth factor-I in women with preeclampsia and gestational hypertension. Study Design: Insulin resistance was measured with the short insulin-tolerance test in 20 women with preeclampsia, in 18 women with gestational hypertension, and in 20 normotensive control subjects. Sex hormone binding globulin, insulin-like growth factor-I, glucose, fructosamine, glycosylated hemoglobin, insulin, C-peptide, and lipids were measured in the fasting state. Results: Women with gestational hypertension had a significant lower insulin sensitivity index (0.13 ± 0.1) and a higher level of insulin-like growth factor-I (333.71 ± 107.6 ng/mL) than women in the control group (0.21 ± 0.1 [P< .05]; 218.11 ± 82.3 ng/mL [P< .01]) and women with preeclampsia (0.21 ± 0.12 [P< .05]; 234.78 ± 92.76 ng/mL [P< .01]). There were no significant correlations between insulin sensitivity index and insulin-like growth factor-I. Conclusion: Insulin resistance is present in women with gestational hypertension but not in women with preeclampsia and did not correlate with insulin-like growth factor-I. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2002;187:735-40.)