The relationship between homeostasis model assessment and cardiovascular risk factors in Iranian subjects with normal fasting glucose and normal glucose tolerance

Insulin resistance is a complex problem which may not always correlate with all its cardiovascular risk factors in various populations. We investigated the relationship between homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) with cardiovascular risk factors in Iranian subjects with normal fasting glucose (NFG) and normal glucose tolerance (NGT). Of the 605 subjects aged 25–79 y enrolled in this study, after the oral glucose tolerance test, 366 subjects aged 25–50 y and 135 aged > 50 y were classified as NFG and NGT. Insulin resistance was estimated by the HOMA-IR. Women had higher values of body mass index (BMI), insulin and HOMA-IR than men in both age groups. The prevalence of insulin resistance, general and abdominal obesity, low HDL-C and physical inactivity was higher in women than men in the 2 age groups. Men had a higher prevalence of hypertension and hypertriglyceridemia in the group with age 25–50 y. The Pearson correlation controlled for age, BMI, waist circumference and physical activity showed that HOMA-IR had significant correlation with triglyceride and inversely associated with HDL-C in both sexes. In addition, the results of HOMA-IR quartiles demonstrated that the prevalence of hypertension, obesity, and low HDL-C was particular high in women with HOMA-IR > 2.39. Multiple regression indicated that log HOMA-IR was independently predicted by BMI, triglyceride and HDL-C in men and BMI, HDL-C and waist-to-hip (WHR) ratio in women. HOMA-IR is associated with the features of metabolic syndrome with a sex difference in the degree and predictors of HOMA-IR and the frequency of cardiovascular risk factors.