Identifying Metabolic Syndrome in African American Children Using Fasting HOMA-IR in Place of Glucose | Preventing Chronic Disease: May 2011: 10_0036

ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Identifying Metabolic Syndrome in African American Children Using Fasting HOMA-IR in Place of Glucose

Sushma Sharma, PhD; Robert H. Lustig, MD; Sharon E. Fleming, PhD

Suggested citation for this article: Sharma S, Lustig RH, Fleming SE. Identifying metabolic syndrome in African American children using fasting HOMA-IR in place of glucose. Prev Chronic Dis 2011;8(2). http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2011/may/10_0036.htm. Accessed [date].


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Abstract
Introduction
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is increasing among young people. We compared the use of homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) with the use of fasting blood glucose to identify MetS in African American children.

Methods
We performed a cross-sectional analysis of data from a sample of 105 children (45 boys, 60 girls) aged 9 to 13 years with body mass indexes at or above the 85th percentile for age and sex. Waist circumference, blood pressure, and fasting levels of blood glucose, insulin, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were measured.

Results
We found that HOMA-IR is a stronger indicator of MetS in children than blood glucose. Using HOMA-IR as 1 of the 5 components, we found a 38% prevalence of MetS in this sample of African American children and the proportion of false negatives decreased from 94% with blood glucose alone to 13% with HOMA-IR. The prevalence of MetS was higher in obese than overweight children and higher among girls than boys.

Conclusion
Using HOMA-IR was preferred to fasting blood glucose because insulin resistance was more significantly interrelated with the other 4 MetS components.

full-text:
Preventing Chronic Disease: May 2011: 10_0036


Author Information
Corresponding Author: Sushma Sharma, PhD, Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, 212 Morgan Hall, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3104. Telephone: 510-642-9944. E-mail: sushma@berkeley.edu. Dr Sharma is also affiliated with the Dr Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Center for Weight and Health.

Author Affiliations: Robert H. Lustig, Dr Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Center for Weight and Health, and the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California. Sharon E. Fleming, Dr Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Center for Weight and Health, and the Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, California.