Relationship between plasma ghrelin levels and insulin resistance and blood pressure in octogenarians.

The association between fasting plasma ghrelin levels and insulin resistance and blood pressure (BP) in octogenarians was investigated in this study. A total of 487 unrelated octogenarians (including 203 men and 284 women) were enrolled in this cross-sectional study at the Healthy Care Center of Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University, China, from October 2008 to April 2009. Plasma ghrelin was determined by using the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Insulin sensitivity was assessed using the homeostasis model of assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). The age of the participants ranged from 80 to 89 years (mean=83.9+/-4.8 years) with a body mass index (BMI) of 25.3+/-4.9 kg/m2. Plasma ghrelin levels were 20.94+/-5.34 microg/L, being 20.89+/-5.53 microg/L in men and 21.38+/-3.73 microg/L in women respectively. Plasma ghrelin was not associated with systolic (P=0.981) or diastolic (P=0.724) BP, waist circumference (P=0.278), fasting insulin (P=0.246), fasting blood glucose (FBG) (P=0.693) and HOMA-IR (P=0.232). In the control cohort, no significant differences in plasma ghrelin were found between genders (P=0.489), and among subjects with hypertension (BP>140/90 mmHg) (P=0.284) and type 2 diabetes (P=0.776). In conclusion, fasting plasma ghrelin levels are not directly correlated with insulin resistance and BP among octogenarians.