The hypertriglyceridaemic waist in New Zealand Maori

The objective of this study was to find a simple practical method of predicting insulin resistance in New Zealand Maori. Thirty-six Maori participants had insulin sensitivity measured using a euglycaemic insulin clamp. Several clinical and easily measured laboratory variables were compared, singly and in combination, with this measure of insulin sensitivity usually regarded as the gold standard. The combination of either fasting insulin and triglycerides or waist circumference and triglycerides, were the best simple methods for predicting insulin resistance in Maori. As insulin assays are not always available and are often not standardised, measurement of waist circumference and triglycerides provides a practical method for predicting insulin sensitivity in New Zealand Maori.