RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INSULIN-RESISTANCE AND ABNORMAL LIPID PROFILE INOBESE ADOLESCENTS

Objective: To determine whether the lipid abnormalities observed in ob ese adolescents are associated with insulin resistance. Methods: We ev aluated the relationship between lipid levels and insulin resistance i n 82 obese adolescents, Insulin resistance was assessed by fasting ins ulin level and sum of the insulin values after an oral glucose toleran ce test in all 82, and were compared with data from 40 nonobese adoles cents. Whole-body glucose uptake during euglycemic hyperinsulinemia (M value) was performed in 19 of the obese adolescents and compared with that of 24 nonobese young adults.Results: The obese adolescents had s ignificantly elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (3.0 9 +/- 0.73 mmol/L; 119 +/- 28.2 mg/dl) and triglycerides (1.22 +/- 0.6 2 mmol/L; 108 +/- 54.6 mg/dl) and low high-density lipoprotein cholest erol (HDL-C) levels (0.94 +/- 0.24 mmol/L; 36 +/- 9.1 mg/dl) when comp ared with values in the nonobese subjects, M values were significantly depressed in the obese compared with the nonobese subjects. Adiposity significantly correlated with low HDL-C and elevated triglyceride val ues, From the variables representing insulin resistance, the strongest correlation with the abnormal lipid profile was found for the M value . A stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that the M value wa s the only step entered into the relationship for triglycerides and LD L-C, and both M value and fasting insulin were entered for HDL-C. Conc lusion: In obese adolescents the degree of insulin resistance explains a significant portion of the variance in the levels of triglycerides, LDL-C, and HDL-C.