PROINSULIN LEVEL AS A PREDICTOR OF METABOLIC SYNDROME IN THE ROMANIAN POPULATION
Abstract
Background and Aims: The aim of the present study was to determine discriminating values of proinsulin (FPP), proinsulin to insulin ratio (PIR), proinsulin to C-peptide ratio (PCPR) and Homeostasis model of assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) for the metabolic syndrome (MetS) as well as discovering sex-specific cutoff points of these parameters in the Romanian population. Material and Methods: We analyzed data from 224 patients. Circulating levels of fasting plasma glucose (FPG), fasting plasma insulin (FPI), FPP, fasting plasma C-peptide, HbA1c, and lipid profile were measured. Results: Among the 224 patients (87 males) MetS was diagnosed in 97 patients (43.3%) according to International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. After stratification by gender, 43 men (49.4%) and 54 women (39.4%) had MetS. There were statistically significant differences between sexes for body mass index (BMI), % body fat, FPG, FPP, PIR, PCPR (all p<0.05). On multivariate logistic regression analysis, only age, BMI, FPP, and HOMA-IR were the independent factors associated with the presence of MetS. Conclusions: The present study showed that FPP and HOMA-IR were the best predictors for MetS in this sample of the Romanian population. Our results suggest that, regardless of gender, HOMA-IR and FPP could be the preferred parameters for predicting MetS.