Ce. Ezenwaka et al., ARE BODY-MASS OR INSULIN-RESISTANCE INDEPENDENTLY ASSOCIATED WITH CARDIOVASCULAR RISK-FACTORS IN NONDIABETIC ELDERLY NIGERIANS, Diabetic medicine, 13(10), 1996, pp. 874-881
Citations number
33
Categorie Soggetti
Endocrynology & Metabolism","Medicine, General & Internal
The aim was to establish whether risk factors for cardiovascular disea
se (CVD) are positively and independently associated with fasting insu
lin and/or body mass and waist-hip ratio in healthy elderly Nigerian s
ubjects. Easting plasma glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, triglycer
ides, blood pressure, and basal insulin resistance (HOMA method) were
measured in 500 healthy elderly (greater than or equal to 55 years) Ni
gerian volunteers (295 men, 205 women). Associations between blood pre
ssure, triglycerides or cholesterol and fasting insulin, HOMA, body ma
ss index (BMI) or waist-hip ratio were examined using linear regressio
n. Age was controlled for in all analyses. In men, diastolic and systo
lic blood pressure were strongly associated with BMI, while there was
no evidence of an independent relationship with fasting insulin or HOM
A. Triglycerides were strongly associated with waist-hip ratio, with a
weaker independent association with HOMA but not fasting insulin; fas
ting insulin and HOMA showed strong independent associations with tota
l cholesterol. In women diastolic and systolic blood pressure were als
o strongly associated with BMI, but there was an independent relations
hip with fasting insulin for diastolic blood pressure and a less signi
ficant (p = 0.057) one for systolic blood pressure. Triglycerides were
significantly associated with BMI but none of the other variables; th
ere were no significant associations with cholesterol. There was no ev
idence of interaction between fasting insulin or HOMA and BMI or waist
-hip ratio. The results suggest the hypotheses that in this population
BMI or waist-hip ratio are stronger determinants of blood pressure an
d triglyceride levels than fasting insulin or HOMA, and that where ins
ulin does play a role its effects are separate and additive.