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ASSOCIATIONS OF INSULIN RESISTANCE WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME RISK FACTORS IN YOUNG, HISPANIC WOMEN

Abstract

K. Taylor, & C.A. Vella

University of Idaho, Moscow, ID

Approximately 65% of Hispanic women aged 20-39 years are overweight or obese. As Hispanic women age from 12-19 years to 20-39 years the prevalence of overweight and obesity increases from 42% to 65%. Concurrent with this rise in overweight and obesity is an increase in risk of the metabolic syndrome, a precursor to cardiovascular disease. The reasons for this are unknown but may be related to the development of central obesity and insulin resistance in young Hispanic women. PURPOSE: To determine the associations between insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome risk factors in young Hispanic women. METHODS: 131 Hispanic women (mean ± SD: age 25.0 ± 5.0 y; BMI 22.8 ± 3.1 kg·m2; body fat 31.8 ± 6.9 %) participated in the study. Metabolic syndrome risk factors measured were waist circumference, fasting glucose, triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), and systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure. Markers of insulin resistance included homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) and fasting insulin. Pearson product-moment correlation analyses were used to assess associations between variables with alpha level set at 0.05. RESULTS: The majority of participants were normal weight (86%) with only 14% overweight or obese, based on BMI. Prevalence of 1, 2, or 3 or more risk factors was 39%, 14%, and 3%, respectively. Fifty six percent of women had at least one metabolic syndrome risk factor and only 44% were risk factor free. The most prevalent risk factor in this sample was a low HDL with 40% of women exhibiting this risk factor. HOMA and fasting insulin were positively and significantly (p < 0.01) related to waist circumference (r = 0.53 and r = 0.54), TG (r = 0.29 and r =0 .30), SBP (r = 0.25 and r = 0.28) and DBP (r = 0.24 and r = 0.25), respectively, and significantly (p < 0.05) and negatively associated with HDL (r = -0.25 and r = -0.21, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: 56% of women had at least one metabolic syndrome risk factor and 17% had two or more risk factors. HOMA and fasting insulin were associated with individual metabolic syndrome risk factors and may be important clinical markers for identifying Hispanic women at-risk for developing metabolic syndrome. These findings highlight the importance of prevention efforts in normal-weight and overweight young, Hispanic women.

Supported by NIH NIDDK 1SC2DK083061

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