HOMA-IR

HOMA-IR (Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance) is a simple calculation from fasting glucose and fasting insulin that estimates how insulin-resistant a person is.

By combining glucose and insulin into one number, HOMA-IR can surface insulin resistance earlier and more clearly than either value alone, which is useful for tracking metabolic health over time.

1. 1

   FoundationMetabolic HealthThe best place to understand the major drivers of metabolic disease.
2. 2

   ConditionMetabolic SyndromeA cluster of risks that travel together
3. 3

   Signal RecordMagnesiumEssential Mineral
4. 4

   Body SystemMetabolismEnergy, blood sugar, and how the body processes fuel.

1. Measure it
2. Understand your result
3. See what raises and lowers it
4. Apply evidence-based interventions
5. Recheck on your review cadence

An orientation to how this topic is typically approached — not medical advice.

A higher HOMA-IR means more insulin is needed to manage glucose — the hallmark of insulin resistance. It is most valuable as a trend within one lab and assay over time.

• Calculated: (fasting glucose mg/dL × fasting insulin µIU/mL) ÷ 405

HOMA-IR is a well-studied surrogate for insulin resistance that correlates with clamp studies at the population level, with the caveats of assay variability and population-specific thresholds.

• Original HOMA methodology literature
• Diabetes research consensus on insulin-resistance surrogates

Sources are named authoritative guidelines and scientific bodies. Biomarker pages present established clinical context; calibrated evidence verdicts on specific interventions live in the linked Signal Records.