Home › Biomarkers › HOMA-IR
In a random sample of 2,459 Spanish adults, the cut-off for HOMA-IR was 2.05. That was the case when the researchers looked at features that together raise the metabolic and cardiovascular risk.[1]
On this page you can read what HOMA-IR is, what the guidelines say about a value that is too low or too high, what affects your value and which values are best to look at alongside it.
Also called: HOMA index, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance. At the lab: not applicable.
Your fasting glucose and insulin keep each other in balance through a feedback loop. HOMA compares your fasting values with a computer model of that feedback loop.[2]
This is how the model estimates how much insulin resistance and how much reduced beta cell function play a part in a raised fasting blood sugar. HOMA-IR is the part that covers insulin resistance.[2]
The estimate matched a more extensive measurement method, the euglycaemic clamp, well (Rs = 0.88).[2]
Insulin resistance is linked to changes in metabolism and circulation. It is also linked to a higher cardiometabolic risk.[1]
The researchers think it makes more sense to choose a cut-off based on that risk than on a percentile of the population. That way, HOMA-IR is better at helping to recognise people in whom several risk factors together raise the metabolic and cardiovascular risk.[1]
At the same time, the estimate is not precise. According to the researchers, this limits its use.[2]
| Cut-off (HOMA-IR) | What it can point to | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| 3,46[1] | Cut-off based on the 90th percentile of the population | Adults in a Spanish sample |
| 2,05[1] | Cut-off that takes into account features that together raise cardiometabolic risk | Adults in a Spanish sample |
| 1,85[1] | Cut-off for a higher cardiometabolic risk | Men without a known blood sugar regulation disorder |
| Depends on age[1] | The cut-off should move with age | Women without a known blood sugar regulation disorder |
Source: Gayoso-Diz and others, EPIRCE study (2013), a random sample of 2,459 Spanish adults. These cut-offs apply to that group.[1]
A HOMA-IR above the cut-off can point to insulin resistance and to a higher metabolic and cardiovascular risk. Which cut-off fits depends on the group. In women without a known blood sugar regulation disorder, the cut-off should move with age.[1]
BioProfile is working on its own zones for each value, from risk to optimal. A doctor reviews those zones before they appear in your result.
HOMA-IR is calculated from your fasting glucose and insulin. If either one changes, the result changes too. The estimate was strongly linked to fasting insulin (Rs = 0.81).[2]
In women without a known blood sugar regulation disorder, the accuracy of HOMA-IR was linked to age. In men, this was not the case.[1]
The model has limited precision: the coefficient of variation is 31% for insulin resistance. According to the researchers, this limits how the estimate can be used.[2]
HOMA-IR is included in BioProfile 121 and 150.[3]
The BioProfile editorial team wrote this page on 10 October 2026 from the sources below, which we read on 10 October 2026. Every number on this page appears in one of those sources, with that source's number next to it. An expert has yet to check this page; after that check, the expert's name and the date of the check will appear at the top. This page offers explanation, not a diagnosis. Discuss a value outside the range with your GP.
