Abstract
Objective: To examine whether the blood hemoglobin level is independently associated with insulin resistance after adjustment for each component of metabolic syndrome and severity of fatty liver in apparently healthy subjects who underwent health check-ups.
Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis using the data obtained from subjects who underwent health check-ups between April 2011 and March 2011(1,112 men and 1,385 women). Subjects taking medication for hypertension, dyslipidemia, or diabetes mellitus were excluded. Insulin resistance was assessed by the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Severity of fatty liver was ultrasongraphically evaluated in semiquantitative manner. Correlations between HOMA-IR and metabolic syndrome components and severity of fatty liver were examined by regression analysis.
Results: Univariate analysis showed that the blood hemoglobin level was positively correlated with HOMA-IR both in men and women (men: r=0.293, p<0.001, women: r=0.175, p<0.001). After adjustment for age, smoking, metabolic syndrome components and severity of fatty liver, multivariate regression analysis showed that blood hemoglobin level was significantly correlated with HOMA-IR in both men and women (men: β=0.104, p<0.001, women: β=0.052, p=0.008).
Conclusions: Blood hemoglobin levels were independently associated with insulin resistance after adjustment for metabolic syndrome components and severity of fatty liver in subjects undergoing health check-ups.
