A better parameter in predicting insulin resistance: obesity plus elevated alanine aminotransferase

To investigate the association of obesity and elevated alanine aminotransferase with insulin resistance and compare these factors with metabolic syndrome.

We enrolled a total of 1308 male workers aged from 22 to 63 years. Data was extracted from the workers' periodic health check-ups in hospitals. All cases were from the community of northern Taiwan. This was a cross-sectional observational study from July to September in 2004. We grouped all cases into four groups, based on the quartile of homeostasis model assessment. The top fourth quartile group was defined as the group with insulin resistance. We performed multivariate logistic regression analysis for the odds ratio of the risk factors for insulin resistance.

Compared with metabolic syndrome, the coexistence of both factors had a 4.3-fold (95% CI: 2.7-6.8) increased risk, which was more than metabolic syndrome with a 3.6-fold (95% CI: 2.6-5.0) increased risk. The two factors had a synergistic effect. The synergistic index of obesity and elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was 2.1 (95% CI: 1.01-4.3).

Obesity and elevated ALT are associated with insulin resistance. The effects are synergistic. Coexistence of them is better than metabolic syndrome in predicting insulin resistance.