To examine the correlation between body composition and insulin resistance (IR) within the general population of different genders.

The data for this study were sourced from the Hefei area data of the Chinese Residents Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Factors Monitoring Project conducted in 2021, with a total of 1 144 subjects being included,including 568 males and 576 females. The ratio of triglycerides to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) was used as an alternative indicator of insulin resistance. A chi-square test was employed to analyze the association between body composition metrics—such as body mass index (BMI), percent body fat (PBF), percent body muscle (PBM), visceral fat area (VFG), and waist circumference (WC)—and the TG/HDL-C ratio. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the factors influencing body composition in individuals with a TG/HDL-C ratio exceeding the tangent point value. The dose-response relationship between body components and the TG/HDL-C ratio was explored using restricted cubic splines, a statistical method that allows for the examination of nonlinear relationships.

The positive detection rate of IR (the rate of TG/HDL-C above the cut point value) was 15.85% in men and 4.69% in women.After adjusting for confounding factors, logistic regression analysis showed that compared with the control group, the risk of IR in the male population was 5.58 times in the obese group (OR=5.58, 95%CI:1.98-15.72), PBF was 7.90 times in the third quartile (OR=7.90, 95%CI:1.68-37.15), the fourth quartile of PBF was 8.20 times (OR=8.20, 95%CI:1.75-38.40), and the third quartile of PBM was 0.27 times (OR=0.27, 95%CI:0.10-0.71), the PBM was 0.09 times in the fourth quartile group (OR=0.09, 95%CI:0.02-0.44), 3.11 times in the group with high VFG (OR=3.11, 95%CI:1.45-6.68), and 4.28 times in the group with higher VFG (OR=4.28, 95%CI:1.45-12.64). Abdominal obesity was 2.21 times (OR=2.21, 95%CI:1.08-4.56). In the female population, the risk of IR was 6.61 times in the obese group (OR=6.61, 95%CI:1.08-65.66) and 8.52 times in the higher VFG group (OR=8.52, 95%CI: 1.90-70.86) (P<0.05). The limited cubic spline showed that BMI, PBF, PBM, VFG, WC had dose-response relationship and approximate linear relationship with TG/HDL-C.

The body composition of community residents is closely associated with the risk of insulin resistance. Individuals who are obese or have high levels of visceral fat are at greater risk for insulin resistance. To mitigate this risk, it is imperative to reinforce lifestyle interventions that prioritize maintaining a higher percentage of muscle mass.