Trends in mean serum insulin and hyperinsulinemia among US adults without diabetes 1999–2018

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine trends for mean serum insulin concentration (pmol/L) and prevalence of hyperinsulinemia (≥4.358 pmol/L fasting insulin) in US adults without diabetes. Methods: We used data from the 1999–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Participants (n = 14,150) were ≥20 years of age, not pregnant, had no history of diabetes, had a fasting blood glucose measure of less than 126 mg/dL, and had valid responses to all study variables. Consecutive cycles of NHANES data from 1999 to 2018 (20 years) were aggregated into five four-year intervals. Results: The Annual Percent Change (APC) for mean fasting insulin ranged from 5.64 (adjusted for body mass index) to 7.65 % when unadjusted (all p-values for trend <0.0001). The APC for hyperinsulinemia prevalence ranged from 19.4 % (adjusted for waist circumference) to 22.3 % when unadjusted (all p-values for trend <0.0001). The subanalyses by gender consistently revealed significant positive trends for both outcomes. Conclusions: This study illustrates a significant positive trend for mean fasting insulin concentrations and hyperinsulinemia among US adults over 20 years. Monitoring serum insulin and hyperinsulinemia trends provides insights into the continuing rise in type 2 diabetes (T2D) and opportunities for T2D prevention.