Hyperinsulinemia is associated with ventricular premature complexes

Abstract

The study investigated a possible association between fasting plasma insulin (FPI) levels and ventricular premature complexes (VPCs). One hundred eighty-six subjects without coronary artery disease (CAD), diabetes, hypertension, and left ventricular hypertrophy were recruited. All subjects underwent 24-hour electrocardiographic monitoring and oral glucose tolerance testing. The subjects were slightly overweight, normotensive, and nondiabetic. Subjects at the third tertile of FPI concentrations were the oldest and heaviest, with prevalent upper-body fat distribution, and had enhanced fasting plasma triglyceride and potassium concentrations, lower fasting plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentration, and a greater number of VPCs versus subjects at the first and second tertiles. Independently of age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and waist to hip ratio (WHR), VPCs were correlated with FPI concentration (r = .19, P < .01). Multiple logistic regression analyses in which the presence or absence of VPCs was the dependent variable demonstrated that FPI concentrations were associated with VPCs independently of age, sex, BMI, WHR, daily physical activity (DPA), left ventricular mass index (LVMI), plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL)/HDL cholesterol ratio, and triglyceride concentration (odds ratio [OR], 1.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0 to 1.6). After addition to the model of fasting plasma free fatty acids ([FFA] OR, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.6 to 1.3) or potassium (OR, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.6 to 1.1) concentrations, the association between FPI concentrations and VPCs is no longer significant. In conclusion, FPI concentrations are associated with VPCs in nondiabetic, normotensive, nonischemic subjects.