Aims: The present study was conducted to assess the association of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and the MetS score (MSS) with β-cell function by gender in Korean non-diabetic populations. Methods: This study used the data from the 2015 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey including 4380 adults, aged 20 or older. Results: After adjusting for related variables (with exception of body mass index [BMI]), MetS (p < 0.001) and MSS (p < 0.001) were positively associated with homeostasis model assessment of β-cell function (HOMA-B), in both men and women. When further adjusting for BMI, MetS (p = 0.002) and MSS (p = 0.006) were positively associated with HOMA-B in women, whereas the association of MetS (p = 0.140) or MSS (p = 0.697) and HOMA-B was no longer significant in men. Conclusion: MetS and MSS increases were positively associated with β-cell function in non-diabetic Korean women, but not in non-diabetic Korean men.
Keywords: Beta cell function; Metabolic syndrome; Metabolic syndrome score; non-diabetes.