Insulin Sensitivity and Insulin Secretion Determined by Homeostasis Model Assessment and Risk of Diabetes in a Multiethnic Cohort of Women: the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study
Response to Song et al.
- Edward J. Boyko, MD, MPH12,
- Dianna Magliano, PHD2 and
- Jonathan E. Shaw, MD2
- 1Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington
- 2International Diabetes Institute, Caulfield, Victoria, Australia
- Address correspondence to Edward J. Boyko, MD, MPH, Seattle ERIC, 1100 Olive Way, Suite 1400, Seattle, WA 98101. E-mail: eboyko{at}u.washington.edu
We read with interest the article (1) on the risk of incident diabetes in the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study (WHI-OS) in relation to homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and β-cell function (HOMA-B). In this letter, we raise a number of issues that we believe require further clarification.
The aim of Song et al.’s study was “to prospectively examine the relations of HOMA … with diabetes risk” (1). Why, then, are 766 women with a fasting glucose at baseline ≥126 mg/dl included in the analysis? Although these women were excluded from other analyses, it is unclear why they …
