The aim of this study was to determine if there is a relationship among skeletal muscle fiber composition, capillarization, blood pressure (BP) and/or the components of the metabolic syndrome. Two groups were compared: 8 recently diagnosed, untreated, hypertensive men (BP > or = 140/90) and 7 normotensive men as controls. Muscle biopsies were taken from the vastus lateralis part of quadriceps femoris muscle in order to assess: fiber type proportion, capillarization, hexokinase, citrate synthase, beta-hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase activities; lipoprotein lipase mass and activity, free fatty acids and triglycerides. Serum levels of insulin, glucose, cholesterol, uric acid and triglycerides were also assayed. Hypertensive patients had higher insulin levels and insulin resistance [homeostasis model assessment (HOMA)], a decreased hexokinase activity and an increase of muscle lipoprotein lipase mass as compared to controls. Interestingly, correlations among values differ in each group. The percentage of type IIB fibers was related to diastolic BP (blood pressure) in control and to mean BP in hypertensive subjects. Serum cholesterol and glucose were inversely related to the percentage of type I fibers in the control subjects. Negative correlations between capillarization and glucose, cholesterol and uric acid levels were found in control subjects. In all subjects, a strong correlation was found between SBP (systolic BP) and DBP (diastolic BP), and insulin resistance (IR) and uric acid levels. Muscle fiber type proportion and capillarization were related to blood pressure and components of the metabolic syndrome.