HOMA-IR
A calculation that estimates insulin resistance from a single blood draw. Often elevated in PMOS even when fasting glucose alone looks normal.
HOMA-IR (Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance) is a calculation that estimates insulin resistance from a single blood draw. It combines fasting glucose and fasting insulin into one number that reflects how hard your pancreas is working to keep blood sugar steady.
The calculation: fasting insulin times fasting glucose, divided by 405 (when glucose is in mg/dL) or divided by 22.5 (when glucose is in mmol/L). Most labs will compute it for you if both inputs are ordered.
A HOMA-IR above roughly 2.0 suggests insulin resistance in most populations, though the cutoff varies by lab and population. In PMOS, HOMA-IR is often elevated even when fasting glucose alone looks normal, because the body is releasing more insulin to keep glucose in the normal range. That is the signal a glucose-only test misses.
HOMA-IR is a screening tool, not a diagnostic test. A clinician reads it alongside the full clinical picture. If you have PMOS and have only had fasting glucose checked, asking for fasting insulin so HOMA-IR can be calculated is a reasonable next step.