OBJECTIVE To investigate possible correlations between apelin-12 levels and obesity in children in China and associations between apelin-12 and obesity-related markers, including lipids, insulin sensitivity and insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR). METHODS Forty-eight obese and forty non-obese age- and gender-matched Chinese children were enrolled between June 2008 and June 2009. Mean age was 1...

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with 50% incidence of insulin resistance (IR) that is fourfold higher than that in non-HCV population. IR impairs the outcome of antiviral treatment. The molecular mechanisms of IR in HCV are not entirely clear. Experimental and clinical data suggested that hepatitis C virus per se is diabetogenic. However, presence of HCV alone does not a...

Background: There are only limited data regarding the effect of impaired portal circulation on the glucose metabolism. The study prospectively examined the interrelationship between insulin resistance (IR) and portal haemodynamic abnormality in cirrhosis. Methods: There were 53 cirrhosis patients (61.6 ± 13.0 years) all presenting gastroesophageal varices. Portal haemodynamics by both hepatic v...

Insulin resistance (IR) is a risk factor for ischemic heart disease and diabetes and raises the triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein (TG/HDL) ratio in adults, but is not well defined in children. Purpose. To investigate the TG/HDL ratios in children as an IR marker. Methods. Wausau SCHOOL Project assessed 99 prepubertal and 118 postpubertal children. The TG/HDL ratio was correlated with numero...

BACKGROUND Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been associated with several metabolic conditions (MC) and secondary causes, but the relationship between insulin resistance (IR) and the underlying aetiology of NAFLD has not been extensively explored. OBJECTIVE To determine the frequency of IR among NAFLD patients and to describe IR according to risk factors and histological findings ...

This study aimed at determining whether the adiponectin to HOMA-IR (A/H) ratio is associated with MetS and MetS components and comparing the diagnostic efficacy of adiponectin, HOMA-IR, and the A/H ratio in healthy, middle-aged participants. MetS was assessed in 1628 Kazakh participants (men, 768; women, 860). The associations between adiponectin, HOMA-IR, and the A/H ratio with the components ...

OBJECTIVE Insulin resistance (IR) in older individuals is associated with risk factors for coronary artery disease. The glucose clamp measures IR directly, but the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) of IR, referred to here as HOMA-IR, is based on fasting glucose and insulin and is less invasive and labor intensive. This method requires validation in the elderly. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS W...

BACKGROUND Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) represents a moving spectrum of hormonal to metabolic abnormalities, as women with the syndrome are aging. Hormonal abnormalities, anovulation, and hyperandrogenic signs were predominant during the early years of PCOS and fade away with the years. Metabolic abnormalities and insulin resistance (IR) remain throughout the PCOS life cycle; however, it is...

Increased insulin resistance is a therapeutic target in patients with chronic liver disease. Branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) have been reported to improve insulin resistance in in vivo experiments. Thus, we investigated the effects of BCAA on insulin resistance in patients with chronic liver disease. Twelve patients with chronic liver disease were enrolled. Each patient was given one sachet o...