Metabolically Healthy but Obese Women Have an Intermediate Cardiovascular Risk Profile Between Healthy Nonobese Women and Obese Insulin-Resistant Women

To further characterize the protective profile of MHO individuals, we compared clinical characteristics, including cardiovascular risk factors, plasma IGF-1 levels, and intima-media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid artery, of a group of MHO women from a cohort of nondiabetic Italian Caucasians with those of two age-matched groups comprising healthy nonobese or IRO women. By definition, insulin-stimulated glucose disposal was higher in MHO subjects who also exhibited significant lower lean body mass, fasting and 2-h postchallenge plasma glucose, fasting insulin, triglycerides, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and carotid IMT compared with IRO individuals.