Next Article in Journal
Immature Platelet Fraction as a Surrogate Marker of Thrombo-Inflammation in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients
Previous Article in Journal
Dynamic Gene Network Alterations and Identification of Key Genes in the Spleen During African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) Infection
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
Life
Volume 15
Issue 12
10.3390/life15121845
life-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Beyond HOMA-IR: Comparative Evaluation of Insulin Resistance and Anthropometric Indices Across Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Metabolic Syndrome Patients

by
Mohamed-Zakaria Assani
1,2,†,
Lidia Boldeanu
3,†,
Anda Lorena Dijmărescu
4,*,
Daniel Cosmin Caragea
5,*,
Ionela Mihaela Vladu
6,
Diana Clenciu
6,
Adina Mitrea
6,
Alexandra-Ștefania Stroe-Ionescu
1,
Mariana-Emilia Caragea
1,
Isabela Siloși
2 and
Mihail Virgil Boldeanu
2
1
Doctoral School, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
2
Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
3
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
4
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
5
Department of Nephrology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
6
Department of Diabetes, Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Life 2025, 15(12), 1845; https://doi.org/10.3390/life15121845 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 20 October 2025 / Revised: 27 November 2025 / Accepted: 28 November 2025 / Published: 30 November 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Endocrinology and Metabolic Syndrome: Epidemiology)
Review Reports Versions Notes

Abstract

Insulin resistance is central in metabolic syndrome, but indices such as Homeostasis Model Assessment-estimated Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) require insulin assays that are costly and not always available. Non-insulin-based indices and refined anthropometric markers may offer simpler risk stratification in prediabetes and diabetes. Our objective was to compare insulin and non-insulin-based indices of insulin resistance, together with advanced anthropometric and lipid markers, between prediabetes (PreDM) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and across hypertension grades in metabolic syndrome. We conducted a cross-sectional study in 200 adults with metabolic syndrome, 80 with PreDM and 120 with T2DM. Clinical, anthropometric and biochemical parameters were recorded, and HOMA-IR, Homeostasis Model Assessment of Beta-cell function (HOMA%B), Metabolic Score for Insulin Resistance (METS-IR), triglyceride to glucose index (TyG), triglyceride-to-glucose index to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (TyG/HDL-c) and other derived indices were calculated. Group comparisons, correlations and multiple linear regression were performed. Compared with PreDM, T2DM showed higher glycemic indices and inflammation, but similar body mass index (BMI) and triglycerides. Across glycemic categories and hypertension grades, METS-IR, TyG and TyG/HDL-c increased and correlated strongly with body roundness index (BRI), abdominal volume index (AVI) and weight-adjusted waist index (WWI), while HOMA-IR contributed little independent information. In regression models, lipid adipose product (LAP) and WWI best explained METS-IR in prediabetes, whereas TyG and BRI were the main determinants of METS-IR in diabetes. In metabolic syndrome with PreDM or T2DM, METS-IR and TyG, particularly combined with BRI, AVI and WWI, outperformed traditional lipid ratios and added value beyond HOMA-IR. These composite indices appear useful for insulin resistance assessment when insulin measurement is unavailable or unreliable.
Keywords: insulin resistance; metabolic syndrome; HOMA-IR; METS-IR; TyG; PreDM; T2DM; anthropometric indices insulin resistance; metabolic syndrome; HOMA-IR; METS-IR; TyG; PreDM; T2DM; anthropometric indices

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Assani, M.-Z.; Boldeanu, L.; Dijmărescu, A.L.; Caragea, D.C.; Vladu, I.M.; Clenciu, D.; Mitrea, A.; Stroe-Ionescu, A.-Ș.; Caragea, M.-E.; Siloși, I.; et al. Beyond HOMA-IR: Comparative Evaluation of Insulin Resistance and Anthropometric Indices Across Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Metabolic Syndrome Patients. Life 2025, 15, 1845. https://doi.org/10.3390/life15121845

AMA Style

Assani M-Z, Boldeanu L, Dijmărescu AL, Caragea DC, Vladu IM, Clenciu D, Mitrea A, Stroe-Ionescu A-Ș, Caragea M-E, Siloși I, et al. Beyond HOMA-IR: Comparative Evaluation of Insulin Resistance and Anthropometric Indices Across Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Metabolic Syndrome Patients. Life. 2025; 15(12):1845. https://doi.org/10.3390/life15121845

Chicago/Turabian Style

Assani, Mohamed-Zakaria, Lidia Boldeanu, Anda Lorena Dijmărescu, Daniel Cosmin Caragea, Ionela Mihaela Vladu, Diana Clenciu, Adina Mitrea, Alexandra-Ștefania Stroe-Ionescu, Mariana-Emilia Caragea, Isabela Siloși, and et al. 2025. "Beyond HOMA-IR: Comparative Evaluation of Insulin Resistance and Anthropometric Indices Across Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Metabolic Syndrome Patients" Life 15, no. 12: 1845. https://doi.org/10.3390/life15121845

APA Style

Assani, M.-Z., Boldeanu, L., Dijmărescu, A. L., Caragea, D. C., Vladu, I. M., Clenciu, D., Mitrea, A., Stroe-Ionescu, A.-Ș., Caragea, M.-E., Siloși, I., & Boldeanu, M. V. (2025). Beyond HOMA-IR: Comparative Evaluation of Insulin Resistance and Anthropometric Indices Across Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Metabolic Syndrome Patients. Life, 15(12), 1845. https://doi.org/10.3390/life15121845

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop