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Hypertensive obese subjects with glucose intolerance have hyperinsulinaemia, insulin resistance and intracellular cation imbalance resulting in increased sodium content. The aim of our study was to assess in these patients plasma levels of endogenous digoxin-like factor (EDLF), an inhibitor of the sodium-pump mechanism. We studied 14 hypertensive and 12 normotensive subjects with obesity and glucose intolerance for fasting blood glucose, and plasma insulin, C-peptide and EDLF levels: the two groups were matched for age and BMI and were studied after a 2-week wash-out period from hypotensive drugs. Compared with normotensives, hypertensive subjects had higher plasma insulin levels, a greater immunoreactive insulin/C-peptide ratio, a lower glucose/insulin ratio and higher plasma EDLF levels. Our results confirm that among obese people with glucose intolerance, hypertensives are more hyperinsulinaemic and insulin-resistant than normotensives and indicate that the intracellular cation imbalance in these patients may be attributable, at least in part, to EDLF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]