[Hypertension-abdominal obesity phenotype as an indicator of dysglycaemia and insulin resistance]

To determine the usefulness of the hypertension-abdominal obesity phenotype as an indicator of dysglycaemia and insulin resistance.

Cross-sectional descriptive study of 964 adults (449 women and 515 men) who attended the Institute of Endocrinology with risk of diabetes mellitus. Demographic (age, sex, skin colour), clinical (blood pressure and acanthosis nigricans), anthropometric (weight, height, waist circumference and body mass index) and laboratory (basal and oral glucose tolerance test-stimulated blood glucose and insulinaemia) variables were analysed. The insulin resistance index was calculated. The abdominal hypertension-obesity phenotype was defined as the presence of systolic pressure ≥130 mm Hg and/or diastolic pressure ≥80 mm Hg or treated hypertension, waist circumference ≥80 cm in women and ≥90 cm in men. Sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of the abdominal obesity hypertension phenotype were calculated to identify dysglycaemia and insulin resistance.

Individuals with the hypertension-abdominal obesity phenotype showed a higher proportion of impaired glucose metabolism and insulin resistance than those without the phenotype (p<0.0001). The hypertension-abdominal obesity phenotype better identifies persons with the presence of double prediabetes, diabetes mellitus and insulin resistance, as they show high sensitivities (85.9%, 77.5%, and 68.9%, respectively), and high negatives predictive values (97.9%, 95.8%, and 74.0%, respectively).

The hypertension-abdominal obesity phenotype is a simple, useful option for identifying persons with dysglycaemia, and insulin resistance.