HOMA-IR
HOMA-IR is strongly right-skewed across adulthood, with the upper tail widening sharply as insulin resistance becomes more prevalent in middle and older age.
Unit: index · 12 slices · age and sex · 1 source
Filed under panels: Diabetes Panel , Metabolic Panel · topics: Metabolic
HOMA-IR is not measured directly in NHANES. It is derived here from fasting insulin and fasting glucose using the standard formula HOMA-IR = fasting insulin (uU/mL) x fasting glucose (mg/dL) / 405. These percentiles describe the full fasting-subsample population rather than a screened healthy subgroup, so they include people with insulin resistance, prediabetes, and diabetes.
Population Distribution
Browse by Demographic
| Age (years) | male (index) | female (index) |
|---|---|---|
| 20-29 | 0.7–8.1 (1.8) | 0.7–8.7 (2.5) |
| 30-39 | 0.7–11.2 (2.3) | 0.8–9.1 (2.1) |
| 40-49 | 0.8–12.1 (2.4) | 0.8–11.2 (2.2) |
| 50-59 | 0.8–12.5 (2.7) | 0.6–7.1 (2.3) |
| 60-69 | 1–11.7 (3) | 0.9–11.2 (2.6) |
| 70+ | 1–11.3 (3) | 0.9–6.6 (2.5) |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is HOMA-IR a measured lab value?
No. HOMA-IR is a derived index calculated from fasting glucose and fasting insulin. It is commonly used as a practical proxy for insulin resistance in population studies.
Why is HOMA-IR so right-skewed?
Because both fasting insulin and insulin resistance vary widely in the population, a smaller subgroup has much higher HOMA-IR than the median. That creates a long upper tail.
Which formula is used here?
These pages use the standard mg/dL-based formula: fasting insulin (uU/mL) x fasting glucose (mg/dL) / 405.