Endocrine Abstracts

Background/aims: Insulin resistance is predominant in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients. Obesity is a risk factor for insulin resistance. This study aims to determine the relationship between indices of nutriture and insulin resistance in type 2 DM patients.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of type 2 DM patients attending the Diabetes Clinic, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria and evaluated over a 6 week period. Variables studied include age, BMI, waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), HbA1c and Homeostasis Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) score. Statistical analysis was done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.Data were expressed as mean (median) and percentages. Continuous variables were compared with the Mann-Whitney U test. Spearman rank correlation coefficient (rs) was used to test association between continuous variables while linear regression models were used to predict HOMA-IR scores from indices of nutriture. P<0.05 defined statistical significance.

Results: Seventy-two patients with complete data participated in the study (33 (45.8%) males and 39 (54.2%) females). Mean age of patients was 57.0 (58.0) years though females were significantly older than the males (P=0.000). BMI (P=0.002), WC (p=0.09), WHR (P=0.348), HbA1c (P=0.932) and HOMA-IR (P=0.109) were higher in males. Waist-to-hip ratio correlated strongly with HOMA-IR (rs=0.284, P=0.016) while BMI correlated weakly with HOMA-IR (rs=0.053, P=0.658). Only WHR significantly predicted HOMA-IR (P=0.004).

Conclusion: Waist-to-hip ratio correlated strongest and significantly predicted insulin resistance in type 2 DM Nigerians.