INS and Abdominal obesity: Other studies reported similar results.[6][63][64] Caruso et al. reported that insulin sensitivity of women with chronic hypertension and GDM was approximately twofold lower than those with GDM only and they concluded that blood pressure is a strong predictor of insulin resistance.[65] Another study has reported the same results.[64] Metabolic syndrome is characterized by presence of hypertension, insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, dyslipidemia and central obesity.