The Associations Between Increasing Degrees of HOMA-IR and Measurements of Adiposity Among Euglycemic U.S. Adults

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between increasing degrees of insulin resistance (using the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance [HOMA-IR]) and two measures of adiposity in a nationally representative sample of euglycemic U.S. adults. Materials and Methods: Sample included adult participants (≥20 years of age) [N = 1586 (body mass index, BMI model), N = 1577 (waist circumference, WC model)] from the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). HOMA-IR was categorized into quartiles. BMI and WC were examined continuously as the dependent variables. Results: Following adjustment for covariates, those with HOMA-IR values in the second, third, and fourth quartiles had significantly higher BMIs (P < 0.001) compared with subjects in the first quartile. In the model using WC, significantly higher WCs were found in subjects in the second, third, and fourth quartiles of HOMA-IR (P < 0.001) compared with those in the first quartile. A significant moderate correlation was found between HOMA-IR and BMI (R2 = 0.4171, P < 0.001), as well as HOMA-IR and WC (R2 = 0.4826, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Having a higher HOMA-IR value is associated with higher BMI and WC values in euglycemic subjects.