Prevalence of Insulin Resistance and its Association with Obesity and Alcoholism in Male Medical Students of Bhopal

Abstract

ABSTRACT-Background: Obesity is rising in medical students due to their stressful academic calendar and sparse time for sports. Obesity is aggravated by the regular drinking of alcohol, a recreational and stress-busting activity, particularly for the male students. Obesity leads to insulin resistance. Homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) >2 has been reported to independently predict cardiovascular risk. Although many studies are there on obesity of medical students, few studies exist in Central India on the prevalence of insulin resistance in medical students. Therefore, prevalence of insulin resistance and its association with obesity and alcoholism was investigated in the first year male medical students of LN Medical College, Bhopal, India. Methods: 50 male medical students of first year were investigated and considered overweight/obese if BMI>=23 or centrally obese if waist circumference (WC)>=90cm. Alcohol intake of more than 20gm per day was considered as high alcohol intake. HOMA-IR was calculated from fasting glucose and fasting insulin, whereas HOMA-IR>=2 was regarded as high. Results: Insulin resistance measured by HOMA-IR>=2 was found in 40%, central obesity as per waist circumference in 20%, overall obesity/overweight as per BMI in 60% and alcoholism in 42%. Significant association was found between insulin resistance and central obesity measured by waist circumference (p value 0.001), but not with BMI and alcoholism. Conclusion: Prevalence of insulin resistance in first year male medical students was high and insulin resistance was significantly associated with central obesity.

A Cross-sectional Study to Assess Insulin Resistance and Atherogenic Index of Plasma as Predictors of Risk of Cardiometabolic Disease among Undergraduate Medical Students at a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital, Karnataka

“…Similar result was observed in a study conducted by Charpe C et al in which 40% of the students showed IR. [23] Many studies have shown that IR precedes and is considered as a strong predictor for development of DM. Hence, estimation of IR by HOMA-IR serves as the surrogate marker towards early detection of DM and associated comorbidities even before the actual disease sets in.…”

Role of Oxidant Alteration of Biomolecules in Diabetes and Other Associated Diseases

“…WC>= 90cm is therefore a strong indication for screening students for insulin resistance to prevent future complications. [20] This study emphasizes the need for early identification of the risk factors leading to excessive BMI, body fat% and initiation of preventive measures in order to prevent the deterioration of cardiovascular performance in 11 to <13 years old school going Bengali boys. [21] The methodological analysis on obesity clearly indicates that prevention is better than cure.…”

Rising Incidence of Overweight and Obesity among Children and Adolescents in India

“…The percentage of overweight and obese children and adolescents has been increasing in India. Research studies done on children and adolescents by Kotian et al (9.9%) [3] ; Stigler (16.6%) [4] ; Gupta et al (11.7%) [5] ; Raj (40%) [6] and Bharati et al (3.1%) [7] reported varied prevalence rates of overweight and obesity in different parts of India. Based on data from the NFHS-3 [8] and NFHS-4 [9] , the percentage of adolescents and adults between the ages of 15 and 49 who were overweight or obese has doubled from 9.3% to 18.6% among males and 12.6% to 20.7% among females.…”