The relationship between insulin resistance and carotid artery intima-media thickness in obese and morbidly obese women

To compare insulin resistance and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) between obese, morbidly obese, and healthy women and demonstrate whether there is a relation between these parameters, focusing mainly on morbidly obese women. Materials and methods: Twenty-five morbidly obese women (body mass index (BMI) => 40 kg/m^²), 25 obese women (BMI 30-39.9 kg/m^²), and 25 age-matched healthy women (BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m^²) were recruited for the study. None of the subjects had diabetes mellitus. BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, lipid profiles, fasting glucose and insulin levels, insulin resistance (by HOMA), and IMT (common carotid, internal carotid, and bifurcation measurements) were compared among the 3 groups and between obese and morbidly obese women. Results: IMT, HOMA, triglyceride, HDL cholesterol, fasting glucose, and insulin levels were higher in obese and morbidly obese women. In the morbidly obese women, internal carotid IMT was positively correlated with fasting insulin. In the combined group of obese and morbidly obese women, internal carotid IMT was positively correlated with both fasting insulin and HOMA. Conclusion: Increased carotid IMT is an early sign of atherosclerosis in nondiabetic obese women as well and is related to both hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance.