Is triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio a surrogates for insulin resistance in youth?

Antônio C. Oliveira, Ana M. Oliveira, Nelson Oliveira, Atila Oliveira, Marcele Almeida, Lorena M. Veneza, Ana Luisa Oliveira, Luis Adan, Ana M. Ladeia

Bahian School of Medicine and Public Health, Science Development Foundation of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil.
Bahian School of Medicine and Public Health, Science Development Foundation of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil..
Department of Health, State University of Feira de Santana, Feira de Santana, Brazil..
Department of Pediatrics, Federal University of Bahia School of Medicine, Salvador, Brazil..
Pontifical Catholic University, Campinas, Brazil..
Science and Technology Faculty, Salvador, Brazil..

DOI: 10.4236/health.2013.53066                

Abstract

As elevated triglyceride (TG) to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio has been described as predictor for cardio metabolic disease with insulin resistance (IR) in the background, the aim was to assess the relationship between this ratio and IR in youth. Oral glucose tolerance test was performed in 318 Brazilian students (175 girls, 11.2 ± 3.2 years, BMI_z-score 1.2 ± 1.4 SD). Measurements: BMI, waist circumference (WC), blood pressure (BP), lipids, insulin and high sensitivity Creactive protein (hsCRP). Excessive weight and abdominal obesity were defined using BMI_z-score and WC and IR by Homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). TG/HDL-C median was 2.37. There was an association between TG/ HDL-C and WC, systolic and diastolic BP, insulin, HOMA-IR, hsCRP, (p < 0.001). Stratified TG/HDL-C into two groups, based on a cut off point of 2.73 (Group 1: <2.73 and Group 2: ≥2.73). Ad- justing for age, gender, ethnicity TG/HDL-C was an independent variable predicting IR (PR = 1.44; CI: 1.07 - 1.96; p = 0.018). For every 1 (cm) in WC increased there was an addition of 0.04 of the value of TG/HDL-C and in those with TG/HDL-C ≥ 2.73 for every 10 (cm) increase in WC there was an improve of 4% in the ratio. In conclusion: In youth, the TG/HDL-C ratio could be a useful index for identifying groups with IR.

Keywords

Insulin Resistance; TG/HDL-C Ratio; Childhood Obesity; Metabolic Disease

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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