PCOS AllyHOMA-IR calculator
Enter the fasting glucose and fasting insulin from your lab report. Both common units work.
Your HOMA-IR
2.22
This calculator does the math from your numbers. It does not diagnose anything. Labs, methods and cutoffs differ, so talk to your doctor about your result.
How it works
HOMA-IR comes from a 1985 model by Matthews and colleagues. With glucose in mg/dL: glucose × insulin ÷ 405. With glucose in mmol/L: glucose × insulin ÷ 22.5. Insulin is in µIU/mL; the calculator converts pmol/L by dividing by 6.945.
Reading the number
There is no universal cutoff. A 2023 study of 854 women with PCOS found that a HOMA-IR above 2.1 best matched insulin resistance, in line with the European Group for the Study of Insulin Resistance (above 2.0). A value of 2.5 is often quoted for the general population.
Cutoffs also depend on ethnicity and on the lab’s insulin test. Studies in different populations have found best cutoffs from about 1.6 to nearly 4, and some labs convert insulin with a factor of 6 instead of 6.945.
The 2023 International PCOS Guideline says clinical insulin tests are of limited value and does not recommend them in routine care, so your doctor may read your result differently or not order the test at all.
Sources: Matthews et al., 1985, Frontiers in Medicine, 2023 (PCOS cutoff), Int J Endocrinol, 2012 (PCOS, HOMA-IR above 2.0), Ethnic-specific cutoffs, 2019, 2023 International PCOS Guideline.
Questions
What is HOMA-IR?
HOMA-IR (Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance) estimates insulin resistance from two fasting blood tests: glucose and insulin. The higher the number, the more insulin the body needs to keep glucose in range.
Do I need to fast for the blood test?
Yes. The formula was built for fasting values, usually after 8 to 12 hours without food. Non-fasting results give a number that does not mean much.
What is a normal HOMA-IR?
There is no single cutoff. Studies of women with PCOS often use about 2.0 to 2.1, a value of 2.5 is often quoted for the general population, and cutoffs measured in specific populations range from about 1.6 to nearly 4. Your lab or doctor may use their own.
Can HOMA-IR diagnose PCOS or insulin resistance?
No. It is one estimate among others, and it is not part of the criteria used to diagnose PCOS. Your doctor reads it together with your symptoms and your other results.