title: Distribution of the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance in Mexican children and adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Several cutoff points of the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR; varying from 2.5 to 4.0) have been suggested for diagnosing IR in youth. In this study, we determined the distribution of the HOMA-IR in Mexican children and adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 6132 children and adolescents from San Luis Potosi, León, Queretaro, and Durango, which are cities in central and northern Mexico, were enrolled in a population-based cross-sectional study. Eligible participants were apparently healthy children and adolescents aged 6-18 years. Pregnancy and the presence of chronic illnesses were exclusion criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 3701 (60.3%) girls and 2431 (39.7%) boys were included in this study. In the overall population, the mean body mass index, insulin levels, and fasting glucose levels were 21.8±1.3 kg/m(2), 7.1±3.2 μU/ml, and 86.2±10.0 mg/dl respectively. The concentrations of insulin and fasting glucose gradually increased from 6 to 12 years of age, whereas the concentrations tended to plateau in the 13- to 18-year-old population. The absolute mean of the HOMA-IR was 2.89±0.7. The HOMA-IR gradually increased with age and reached a plateau at 13 years of age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Because the insulin concentrations, glucose levels, and HOMA-IR exhibited a gradual increase with age that was not related to obesity, our results suggested that the evaluation of IR in children should be based on percentiles of the HOMA-IR rather than a dichotomous value derived from a single cutoff point.
authors: Faculty of Medicine, University of San Luis Potosi, San Luis Potosi, Mexico.
authors: Celia
authors: C
authors: Aradillas-García
authors: Martha
authors: M
authors: Rodríguez-Morán
authors: María Eugenia
authors: ME
authors: Garay-Sevilla
authors: Juan Manuel
authors: JM
authors: Malacara
authors: Ramón Alberto
authors: RA
authors: Rascon-Pacheco
authors: Fernando
authors: F
authors: Guerrero-Romero
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism; D050177:Overweight / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism; D015995:Prevalence
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin