A significantly different prevalence in the Gly40Ser variant of the glucagon receptor gene in a small group of essential hypertensive patients compared with normotensive probands was described in a Caucasian population. It has been postulated that this variant may exacerbate the antinatriuretic effect of high plasma insulin levels commonly seen in hypertensive subjects, leading to volume expansion and rise in blood pressure level. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of the Gly40Ser variant in a population of 404 non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients of Sardinian origin. No association of the Gly40Ser variant with hypertension was seen in this large population.
