HOMA-IR — Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance

The Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) is a validated mathematical model that uses fasting glucose and fasting insulin concentrations to estimate whole-body insulin resistance (IR) and beta-cell function. Developed by Matthews and colleagues at Oxford in 1985, HOMA-IR is the most widely used clinical research tool for quantifying insulin resistance. Formula: HOMA-IR = (Fasting Glucose [mg/dL] × Fasting Insulin [μIU/mL]) / 405. HOMA-IR correlates strongly with the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp (gold standard for IR measurement) and with visceral adiposity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD/MASLD), PCOS, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes risk.