In Nonobese Girls, Waist Circumference as a Predictor of Insulin Resistance Is Comparable to MRI Fat Measures and Superior to BMI.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate the degree to which waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-measured abdominal fat deposition predict insulin resistance (IR) in nonobese girls of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.


METHODS
Fifty-seven nonobese girls (12 African-American, 16 Hispanic White, and 29 non-Hispanic White girls) aged 11-14 years were assessed for WC, MRI hepatic proton density fat fraction, visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue volume, BMI Z-score, fasting insulin, homeostasis model of assessment (HOMA)-IR, adiponectin, leptin, sex hormone-binding globulin, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides.


RESULTS
Univariate and multivariate analyses adjusted for race and ethnicity indicated that only WC and visceral adipose tissue volume were independent predictors of fasting insulin and HOMA-IR, while hepatic proton density fat fraction, BMI Z-score, and subcutaneous adipose tissue volume were dependent predictors. Hispanic White girls showed significantly higher mean fasting insulin and HOMA-IR and lower sex hormone-binding globulin than non-Hispanic White girls (p < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
In nonobese girls of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, WC, particularly when adjusted for race or ethnicity, is an independent predictor of IR comparable to MRI-derived measurements of fat and superior to the BMI Z-score.
Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wis., USA.
Peter M
PM
Wolfgram
Ellen L
EL
Connor
Jennifer L
JL
Rehm
Jens C
JC
Eickhoff
Wei
W
Zha
Scott B
SB
Reeder
David B
DB
Allen
D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D000293:Adolescent; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000378:metabolism; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D055105:Waist Circumference / Q000502:physiology*
C499918:ADIPOQ protein, human; D052242:Adiponectin; D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D020738:Leptin; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D014280:Triglycerides