4.3. Biochemical Analyses
INSULIN RESISTANCE
The serum levels of glucose, insulin, and lipids were analyzed at the University of Oklahoma Medical Center laboratory (Oklahoma City, OK, USA) and at Quest Diagnostics (Las Vegas, NV, USA) according to the manufacturer’s protocols. Serum glycated hemoglobin was analyzed with the use of a DCA 2000+ Analyzer (Bayer, Leverkusen, Germany). Insulin resistance was evaluated by HOMA-IR and was calculated as follows: [fasting insulin (mU/L) × fasting glucose (mmol/L)]/22.5 [