title: Clustering of cardiovascular risk factors associated with the insulin resistance syndrome: assessment by principal component analysis in young hyperandrogenic women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hyperinsulinemia is often associated with several metabolic abnormalities and increased blood pressure, which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. It has been hypothesized that insulin resistance may underlie all these features. However, recent data suggest that some links between insulin resistance and these alterations may be indirect. The aim of our study was to further investigate this issue in a sample of young hyperandrogenic women, who often show insulin resistance and other metabolic abnormalities typical of the insulin resistance syndrome.
  
  
  METHODS
  We tested the hypothesis of a single factor underlying these features by principal component analysis, which should recognize one component if a single mechanism explains this association. The analysis was carried out in a sample of 255 young nondiabetic hyperandrogenic women. Variables selected for this analysis included the basic features of the insulin resistance syndrome and some endocrine parameters related to hyperandrogenism.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Principal component analysis identified four separate factors, explaining 64.5% of the total variance in the data: the first included fasting and postchallenge insulin levels, BMI, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, and uric acid; the second, BMI, blood pressure, and serum free testosterone; the third, fasting plasma glucose, postchallenge glucose and insulin levels, serum triglycerides, and free testosterone; and the fourth, postchallenge plasma insulin, serum free testosterone, and gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist-stimulated 17-hydroxyprogesterone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results support the hypothesis of multiple determinants in the clustering of abnormalities in the so-called insulin resistance syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Department of Public Medicine and Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: M Elisabetta
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Zanolin
authors.forename: Flavia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tosi
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zoppini
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Castello
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Spiazzi
authors.forename: Romolo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dorizzi
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muggeo
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moghetti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D017588:Hyperandrogenism / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D007328:Insulin; D014280:Triglycerides; D014527:Uric Acid