Objectives To investigate the relationship between serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) in patients with essential hypertension (EH) and the influence of combined antihypertensive therapy on the serum levels of IGF-1 and baPWV, in order to illustrate the role of serum IGF-1 in the pathophysiological process of hypertensive arteriosclerosis.

Methods Thirty-four normal individuals and Sixty-eight patients with EH were enrolled. Semm IGF-1 was examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity was measured by automatic arteriosclerosis detector (Omron, VP-1000). After combined antihypertensive therapy (amlodipine + Telmisartan) for 12 weeks, all EH patients needed to undertake again the tests of serum IGF-1 and baPWV, the resuts should be taken to compare with that of pre-therapy.

Results 1) Serum IGF-I levels in patients with EH were significantly higher than that in normal controls and increased with the clinical grading of EH (P < 0.05); Before the antihypertensive therapy, Serum IGF-I levels in EH patients of arteriosclerosis group were significantly higher than that of nonarteriosclerosis group (P < 0.05). 2) Before and after the antihypertensive therapy, there were not significant differences about the levels of blood-lipoids and blood-fasting sugar (P > 0.05); while the levels of serum Cr, BUN, IGF-1 and the values of baPWV showed significantly decreased after the antihypertensive therapy (P < 0.05). 3) After 12 weeks’s treatment, compared with abnormal blood pressure group, the patients in successful blood pressure control group had lower serum levels of IGF-I(P < 0.05) and smaller values of baPWV(P < 0.05). 4) Whether before or after antihypertensive therapy, serum IGF-I correlated positively with baPWV (before antihypertensive therapy r^s = 0.506, P < 0.05; after antihypertensive therapy r^s = 0.492, P < 0.05).

Conclusions The serum levels of IGF-1 in patients with essential hypertension are correlated with blood pressure and baPWV. IGF-I is probably involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension and promote the pathophysiological process of artery atherosclerosis in essential hypertension. After the combined antihypertensive therapy (amlodipine + Telmisartan), the degree of artery atherosclerosis improved significantly what may correlate to the decrease of serum IGF-1.