Insulin Resistance-Related Cardiometabolic Risk Among Nondiabetic Childbearing Age Females.

Abstract

Background: This study evaluates insulin resistance prevalence in young females without diabetes, assessing risk factors and adiposity indices for early detection of cardiometabolic disorders. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, involving 282 females aged 18-35 years from suburban and rural areas of Sri Lanka. Anthropometric measurements [height, weight, waist circumference (WC)] were obtained and biochemical parameters [fasting glucose, insulin, insulin resistance (IR), total cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins, (HDL), low-density lipoproteins, triglycerides] were measured. The anthropometric and biochemical data were compared between the groups of normal weight controls and overweight/obese cases, as well as between females with or without IR. Results: The prevalence of IR in controls and cases were 48.6% and 57.1%, respectively. Both groups had mean Homeostasis Model Assessment-IR values greater than the normal cutoff value of 2.5. Females with IR showed higher prevalence of dyslipidemia than those without IR. Compared to the controls (2.81%), the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) was substantially greater among cases (46.42%). Both groups showed a statistically significant association between IR and MetS, but the association was considerably stronger in cases [r = 0.616, odds ratio (OR) >8] than in controls (r = 0.175, OR >1). Controls exhibited lower HDL levels, hypertriglyceridemia, and elevated IR levels (P < 0.05), and their ORs for acquiring MetS were >2, <1, and >3, respectively. Importantly, overweight/obese cases exhibited a significant association (P < 0.05) with all the MetS risk variables. Visceral adiposity index (VAI) proves to be a precise measurement for identifying IR and cardiovascular disease (CVD) among young females (Z = -3.651), surpassing the accuracy of other indices. Body mass index, body round index, a body shape index, and WC were also reliable measurements to assess IR and the risk of CVD (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The study underscores the importance of assessing IR in nondiabetic young females to identify early cardiometabolic risks. VAI emerges as a precise measurement for identifying IR and CVD risk, surpassing the accuracy of other indices.