The Relationship between Obesity, Insulin Resistance and Hypertension: A Review

Obesity is considered a global epidemic with detrimental health effects. It is linked to the development of conditions such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary heart disease, atherosclerotic cerebrovascular disease, and higher mortality rates, among other conditions. This review elucidates the pathophysiology linking obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension and includes clinical trials that demonstrate these relationships. Electronic research was conducted using PubMed, Google Scholar, and up to date. The search results included publications written in English from the year 1994-2023. Relevant articles from the reference lists were reviewed to collect pertinent information. Several studies demonstrating the relationships between obesity and insulin resistance, obesity and hypertension, and insulin resistance and hypertension were interpreted and analyzed. The results concluded that there is a significant positive association among these three factors. However, a weak association between insulin resistance and hypertension was found. Many studies have demonstrated the relationships between obesity, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, and hypertension. This is important as it increases the opportunity for patient education, the development of drugs that target specific pathways, and the reduction of overall morbidity and mortality.