Gender Differences in Relation to Body Composition, Insulin Resistance, and Islet Beta Cell Function in Newly Diagnosed Diabetic or Pre-Diabetic Patients

Abstract

Objective

To assess the correlation between body components with insulin resistance (IR) and islet beta cell function in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) or pre-diabetes mellitus (pre-DM) and to explore whether this correlation differs in males and females.

Methods

111 newly diagnosed diabetic or pre-diabetic patients were recruited in this cross-sectional study. 75g oral glucose tolerance test was used to determine the diagnosis of DM or pre-DM. Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and glucose disposition index (DI₃₀) was calculated to assess IR and islet beta cell function, respectively. Whole-body and regional lean mass (LM) and fat mass (FM) were obtained by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Partial correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were used to determine the associations between body composition, IR, and islet beta cell function.

Results

More body fat and appendicular fat was observed in female patients than in male, though with similar BMI. Legs fat % was negatively correlated with HOMA-IR, whereas legs lean % was positively associated with HOMA-IR in females (r = −0.673, p = 0.017; r =0.664, p = 0.018, respectively). The regression analysis showed that legs LM was positively correlated with HOMA-IR in females. However, in male patients, android FM was positively correlated with HOMA-IR (r = 0.462, p = 0.007), and trunk LM was negatively associated with DI₃₀ (r = −0.458, p = 0.007). Nevertheless, no significant correlation was observed between body composition and islet beta cell function in female patients.

Conclusion

Android FM was positively correlated with IR only in male patients but not in females. Besides, relative legs fat and LM were independently associated with IR in female patients but not in males. Further studies are needed to explore the underlying mechanism.

Keywords:

• body composition
• diabetes mellitus
• insulin resistance
• islet beta cell function

Data Sharing Statement

The datasets used and analyzed in the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Acknowledgment

Thank all the authors and patients who participated in the study.

Disclosure

All the authors declare no conflicts of interest in this work.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Project of Science and Technology Research and Development of China Railway Corporation (No. J2021Z608).