The biochemical assessment of insulin resistance

Insulin resistance is a common condition, recognized to be a central feature of the metabolic syndrome, and strongly associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The quantitative assessment of insulin sensitivity is not used for routine clinical purposes, but the emerging importance of insulin resistance has led to its wider application to research studies that have examined its pathogenesis, aetiology and consequences. The gold standard method for the determination of insulin sensitivity is the euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamp from which indices of insulin sensitivity can be derived. The clamp technique is both expensive and complex to undertake and has prompted the use of surrogate methods, notably the insulin tolerance test and frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test. Indices may be derived from these methods and correlate well with those derived from clamp studies. Indices can also be derived from measurements made during a standard oral glucose tolerance test and from one-off fasting specimens (e.g. homeostasis model assessment and quantitative insulin sensitivity check index). These indices lend themselves for use in large population studies where a relatively simple, inexpensive assessment is necessary. However, these tests all suffer from important limitations, including poor precision. Insulin resistance is increasingly being assessed in clinical situations, where relatively simple markers are required. Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 is an emerging marker which may be useful in this context.