CONTEXT:

Obesity and diabetes are more common in African-Americans than whites. Because free fatty acids (FFA) participate in the development of these conditions, studying race differences in the regulation of FFA and glucose by insulin is essential.

OBJECTIVE:

The objective of the study was to determine whether race differences exist in glucose and FFA response to insulin.

DESIGN:

This was a cross-sectional study.

SETTING:

The study was conducted at a clinical research center.

PARTICIPANTS:

Thirty-four premenopausal women (17 African-Americans, 17 whites) matched for age [36 ± 10 yr (mean ± sd)] and body mass index (30.0 ± 6.7 kg/m²). Interventions: Insulin-modified frequently sampled iv glucose tolerance tests were performed with data analyzed by separate minimal models for glucose and FFA.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:

Glucose measures were insulin sensitivity index (S(I)) and acute insulin response to glucose (AIRg). FFA measures were FFA clearance rate (c(f)).

RESULTS:

Body mass index was similar but fat mass was higher in African-Americans than whites (P < 0.01). Compared with whites, African-Americans had lower S(I) (3.71 ± 1.55 vs. 5.23 ± 2.74 [×10⁻⁴ min⁻¹/(microunits per milliliter)] (P = 0.05) and higher AIRg (642 ± 379 vs. 263 ± 206 mU/liter⁻¹ · min, P < 0.01). Adjusting for fat mass, African-Americans had higher FFA clearance, c(f) (0.13 ± 0.06 vs. 0.08 ± 0.05 min⁻¹, P < 0.01). After adjusting for AIRg, the race difference in c(f) was no longer present (P = 0.51). For all women, the relationship between c(f) and AIRg was significant (r = 0.64, P < 0.01), but the relationship between c(f) and S(I) was not (r = -0.07, P = 0.71). The same pattern persisted when the two groups were studied separately.

CONCLUSION:

African-American women were more insulin resistant than white women, yet they had greater FFA clearance. Acutely higher insulin concentrations in African-American women accounted for higher FFA clearance.