Evaluation of TG-HDL Ratio Instead of HOMA Ratio as Insulin Resistance Marker in Overweight and Children with Obesity

• Published in: Endocrine, metabolic & immune disorders drug targets Vol. 19; no. 5; p. 676
• Main Authors: Behiry, Eman G, El Nady, Nazih Mohamed, AbdEl Haie, Omima M, Mattar, May Kamel, Magdy, Amira
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United Arab Emirates 01-01-2019
• Subjects: Adolescent; Biomarkers - analysis; Biomarkers - blood; Case-Control Studies; Child; Cholesterol, HDL - analysis; Cholesterol, HDL - blood; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Insulin Resistance; Male; Metabolic Syndrome - blood; Metabolic Syndrome - diagnosis; Overweight - blood; Overweight - complications; Overweight - diagnosis; Pediatric Obesity - blood; Pediatric Obesity - complications; Pediatric Obesity - diagnosis; Triglycerides - analysis; Triglycerides - blood; TG/HDL; HOMA; insulin resistance; overweight; C ratio; obese
• ISSN: 2212-3873
• DOI: 10.2174/1871530319666190121123535

Homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) is widely used as a marker of insulin resistance in adults and has also been validated in children and adolescents. Triglyceride (TG) and HDL-C on the other hand is a routine test and inexpensive compared to insulin. Previous studies reported conflicting findings on the usefulness of the triglyceride to HDL-C ratio (TG:HDL-C ratio) as predictor or marker of IR. The aim of this work was to investigate the usefulness of Triglyceride to HDL-C ratio (TG/HDL-C) as an Insulin Resistance (IR) marker in overweight and children with obesity.
This study was a comparative cross sectional study which was conducted on ninety overweight and children with obesity attending National Nutrition Institute "Pediatric obesity clinic. They were classified into 2 groups as follows: group (1) included overweight and children with obesity with insulin resistance, group (2) included overweight and children with obesity with non-insulin resistance. All the subjects were subjected to history, clinical examination and laboratory investigations including total lipid profile, fasting glucose, insulin and TG:HDL-C ratio instead of HOMA ratio.
Prevalence of IR among the studied sample was 42 (46.7%). Mean value of TG/ HDL-C ratio was greater among the insulin resistance group than non insulin resistance group (p value= < 0.001)value). TG/HDL ratio ≥1.36 had 85.7% sensitivity, 66.7% specificity. There was statistically significant positive correlation between TG/HDL ratio and HOMA-IR.
TG:HDL ratio ≥1.36 is a significant early and sensitive predictor of insulin resistance in children instead of HOMA-IR.