Abstract:
Objective To explore the relationship between waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and insulin resistance(IR) in non-diabetic normal-weight individuals and investigate how this association differs between male and femalesubjects. Methods From June to October, 2012, we performed a cross-sectional survey among 2142 community-based non-diabetic Chinese participants, who were divided into 4 groups according to the gender-specific quartiles of WHR. Homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), calculated as the product of fasting plasma glucose (mmol/L) and fasting insulin (mU/L) divided by 22.5, was used as the indicator of insulin resistance. Logistic regression models were used to explore the association of WHR with IRin these subjects. Results In the unadjusted model, WHRwas significantly associated with IRin women (OR=6.60, 95% CI: 2.86-15.26, P<0.001); the association was still significant (OR=3.28, 95%CI: 1.34-8.04, P=0.009) after adjustment for the potential confounders including the history of hypertension, coronary heartdisease, current smoker, physical inactivity, and body mass index. Conclusion WHR is independently associated with IR in non-diabetic Chinese women with normal body weight.