Metabolism

HOMA-IR calculator

Enter fasting glucose and fasting insulin from the same blood draw to calculate your HOMA-IR score, then see where it sits against the cutoffs published in research studies.

Fasting glucosemg/dLFrom a blood sample taken after at least 8 hours without food, the same morning as the insulin.Fasting insulinµU/mLLabs write this as µU/mL, µIU/mL or mU/L. All three give the same number.

Enter your values above to see your result and what it means.

HOMA-IR normal range: what the bands mean

No single normal range for HOMA-IR is accepted everywhere. This calculator groups results by where they fall relative to cutoffs from published studies. Below 2.0 is under the thresholds that a large Spanish study linked with metabolic syndrome (1.85 in non-diabetic men, 2.05 overall) and matches the Swedish 75th percentile of 2.0. Above 3.46 is over the 90th percentile of the same Spanish adult population. The labels describe position only; insulin resistance is a clinical judgement that takes more than one index.

How this calculator groups HOMA-IR results.
Group	HOMA-IR	Where it sits
Lower	below 2.0	Under metabolic-syndrome-linked cutoffs in Spanish adults and the Swedish 75th percentile
Intermediate	2.0-3.46	Above those cutoffs, below the Spanish 90th percentile
Higher	above 3.46	Above the 90th percentile of a general Spanish adult population

HOMA-IR cutoffs in published studies

Studies define a high HOMA-IR in different ways: some take a percentile of a healthy population, others the value that best separates people with and without metabolic syndrome. Ethnicity, age and the laboratory method all shift the result, which is why the numbers below disagree. In the Spanish EPIRCE study the cutoff in non-diabetic women also changed with age.

HOMA-IR cutoffs reported in published studies (Gayoso-Diz 2013, Table 1 and results; Płaczkowska 2020).
Population (year)	Cutoff	How it was set
Thailand, adults 35+ with normal weight and glucose (2010)	1.55	90th percentile
Japan, healthy adults (2002)	1.7	90th percentile
Spain, non-diabetic men, EPIRCE (2013)	1.85 (ATP III) / 2.05 (IDF)	Best separation of metabolic syndrome
Sweden, population sample (2000)	2.0	75th percentile
United States, NHANES adults with normal weight and glucose (2008)	2.73	66th percentile
Brazil (2006)	2.77	90th percentile
Spain, general adult population, EPIRCE (2013)	3.46	90th percentile
France, adults 35-64 (2002)	3.8	75th percentile
Poland, healthy adults 18-31 (2020)	4.00	Upper reference limit

HOMA-IR formula: how it is calculated

HOMA-IR comes from the homeostasis model described by Matthews and colleagues in 1985. With glucose in mg/dL the formula is fasting insulin (µU/mL) × fasting glucose (mg/dL) / 405. With glucose in mmol/L it is insulin × glucose / 22.5, which gives the same answer because 405 is 22.5 × 18. For example, a fasting glucose of 90 mg/dL and a fasting insulin of 10 µU/mL give 10 × 90 / 405 = 2.22. In the original study the score correlated well with the euglycaemic clamp, the reference method, yet its precision was low: the coefficient of variation was 31%.

Getting a reliable result

Both values should come from the same blood sample, taken in the morning after at least 8 hours of fasting. One measurement is imprecise, so a single score near a cutoff can move into the next group on a repeat test. If you compare results over time, use the same laboratory, because insulin assays differ. HOMA-IR is not meaningful if you take insulin: the injected insulin is measured along with your own, so the formula no longer reflects how your body handles glucose. When fasting glucose is in the diabetes range, the glucose result is what needs attention first.

Frequently asked questions

What is a normal HOMA-IR?

There is no universal normal value. Published cutoffs range from 1.55 in Thailand to 3.8 in France, and a Polish reference study of healthy young adults put its upper limit at 4.00. A Spanish study of 2,459 adults put the 90th percentile at 3.46. Your laboratory may print its own reference range, and that is the one to compare against first.

What does a high HOMA-IR score mean?

It means your fasting insulin is high relative to your fasting glucose, which suggests your body needs more insulin to keep glucose in check. It is a clue, and doctors read it together with fasting glucose, HbA1c, waist size, blood pressure and lipids. One high result from one test is not a diagnosis of insulin resistance.

How do I calculate HOMA-IR?

Multiply fasting insulin in µU/mL by fasting glucose in mg/dL and divide by 405. If your glucose is in mmol/L, divide by 22.5 instead. For example, insulin 15 and glucose 100 mg/dL give 15 × 100 / 405 = 3.70.

Can I use HOMA-IR if I take insulin?

No. The formula assumes that all the insulin in your blood comes from your own pancreas. Injected insulin breaks that assumption, so the score is not meaningful for people on insulin treatment.

Why did my HOMA-IR change between two tests?

A single HOMA-IR measurement is imprecise: the original authors reported a coefficient of variation of about 31%. Insulin also varies from day to day. Small changes between tests are expected, and a trend over several tests at the same laboratory says more than any one result.