Association of Serum Free Fatty Acids with Hypertension and Insulin Resistance among Rural Uyghur Adults in Far Western China

OBJECTIVE We aimed to investigate whether free fatty acid (FFA) levels in hypertensive patients result from increased blood pressure or the accompanying condition of insulin resistance (IR). Furthermore, we aimed to study the role of IR in the onset and development of hypertension and then provide a basis for the prevention and treatment of hypertension and metabolic syndrome (MS). DESIGN AND METHODS The study included 68 essential hypertensive patients without IR, 87 normotensive subjects with IR, 82 essential hypertensive patients with IR and 74 normotensive subjects without IR. Analysis of covariance was used to compare FFA concentrations among the four groups to determine the association between FFA concentrations and hypertension and IR. RESULTS A significant difference in FFA concentrations among the four groups was found using a one-factor analysis of variance (p<0.001). A significant difference was also found among the adjusted means of the four groups (essential hypertensive patients with IR vs. normotensive subjects without IR: 0.703 mg/L vs. 0.516 mg/L, p<0.001; essential hypertensive patients with IR vs. normotensive subjects with IR: 0.703 mg/L vs. 0.525 mg/L, p<0.001; essential hypertensive patients with IR vs. essential hypertensive patients without IR: 0.703 mg/L vs. 0.579 mg/L, p=0.002; normotensive subjects with IR vs. normotensive subjects without IR: 0.525 mg/L vs. 0.516 mg/L, p=0.007; essential hypertensive patients without IR vs. normotensive subjects without IR: 0.579 mg/L vs. 0.516 mg/L, p<0.001). However, no significant interaction was detected between IR and hypertension regarding the FFA concentration. CONCLUSIONS FFA is an independent factor for IR and hypertension among Uyghur adults in a rural area of Xinjiang.