Which anthropometric indices of regional adiposity are related to the insulin resistance of aging?

OBJECTIVE

To determine which anthropometric methods of assessing body fat distribution are the most predictive of the insulin resistance of aging.

DESIGN

Commonly used indices of regional adiposity were correlated with whole-body insulin sensitivity in 55 men and 29 women (age range 18-80 years).

MEASUREMENTS

Insulin sensitivity (SI, minimal model), waist and hip girths, waist-to-hip ratios, conicity index, skinfolds, body fat percentage, maximal oxygen consumption.

RESULTS

There was a wide disparity in the strength of relationships between commonly used anthropometric indices of fat distribution and whole-body insulin sensitivity. In both sexes minimal waist girth, however, was the primary variable in multivariate regression analysis, accounting for approximately 37% of the variance in SI.

CONCLUSION

These findings indicate that anthropometric measures of regional adiposity are not interchangeable and/or equivalent when attempting to discern relationships between body fat distribution, insulin sensitivity, and aging.