How insulin resistance relates to parts of metabolic syndrome in Taiwanese Asians

In a study of 564 middle-aged healthy subjects, mean blood pressure and triglyceride levels in the group with the most severe insulin resistance were lower than current Metabolic Syndrome cutoffs.

• Group 4, representing the top 25 percentile for insulin resistance, showed a mean fasting plasma glucose of 6.2 mmol/l.
• Mean blood pressure values were 125/81 mmHg for males and 125/80 mmHg for females, both below the existing cutoff of 140/90 mmHg.
• Triglyceride levels were 1.6 mmol/l for males and 1.4 mmol/l for females, lower than the current cutoff of 1.7 mmol/l for males.
• High-density lipoprotein cholesterol and body mass index in Group 4 were consistent with existing definitions.
• Proposals include lowering the blood pressure cutoff to 125/80 mmHg and triglyceride cutoffs to 1.6 mmol/l for males and 1.4 mmol/l for females.
• Further larger-scale epidemiological studies are needed to validate these proposed cutoffs.

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