Excess insulin in a state of hyperinsulinemia leads to increased sympathetic tone, increased angiotensin 2 production, decreased nitric oxide formation, and potentially adverse lipid profiles.

“What else does too much insulin do? It causes increased sympathetic tone. It causes that fight or flight nervous system to go up. It increases the production of angiotensin 2, and it appears, and I'll speak about this at the end of the podcast, that in hypertensive individuals, angiotensin 2 may be increased independent of insulin as well. Hyperinsulinemia decreases the formation of nitric oxide through many of the second messenger cascades. Hyperinsulinemia also appears to raise LDL, lower HDL, and raise triglycerides.”