Abstract
BACKGROUND: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) experience high mortality rates from cardiovascular disease (CVD). Insulin resistance (IR) is a frequent complication of CKD and is associated with poorer cardiovascular outcomes. This study investigates the prevalence and associations of IR in hemodialysis (HD) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive-analytic cross-sectional study was conducted on 103 HD patients. We used the Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) and the Quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check Index (QUICKI) to measure IR. We examined potential associations between IR and the following factors: age, gender, etiology of kidney failure, BMI, waist circumference, blood lipids, hemoglobin concentration, uric acid, and duration of HD. RESULTS: The prevalence of IR, as measured by HOMA-IR, was 61.2%, and by QUICKI, it was 48.5%. Age, gender, etiology of kidney failure and increased waist circumference did not significantly influence IR. A significant associations were observed between IR and higher BMI, anemia, dyslipidemia, and longer duration of HD therapy. Interestingly, the HOMA-IR and QUICKI indices correlated for most factors except total cholesterol, LDL-C, and uric acid. CONCLUSION: This study found a high prevalence of IR in HD patients, with 61.2% identified by HOMA-IR and 48.5% by QUICKI. We confirmed significant associations between IR and BMI, anemia, dyslipidemia, and duration of HD therapy in this population.