While some people may be genetically more likely to develop insulin resistance, the biggest impact has perhaps come from the change in our food environment in recent decades. Genetic risk factors, environmental risk factors, and lifestyle factors have all been found to contribute to the development of insulin resistance. 7Īs we discuss in the next section, hyperinsulinemia is likely both a cause and an effect of insulin resistance. When our bodies are exposed to an unrelenting supply of glucose, insulin is constantly secreted and remains chronically high - hyperinsulinemia. The other important part of understanding insulin resistance is a condition that frequently coincides with it called hyperinsulinemia. The problem arises when we are not metabolically healthy, which some researchers estimate may be the case for as many as 88% of Americans. 5įor someone who is metabolically healthy, this process works seamlessly to ensure a constant supply of fuel for the body. Then, when insulin is low, it enables the body to take the fat out of storage and use it for energy. When insulin levels are high, it stimulates fat cells to take up glucose and turn it into fat (lipogenesis).
Falling levels of insulin let the liver know when to make more glucose (gluconeogenesis) and rising insulin levels let the liver know when to stop.Īnother crucial role is insulin’s regulation of fat storage. Insulin also enables glucose to be used by cells for fuel or stored as glycogen in muscle and liver cells. Since higher levels of insulin have been associated with numerous chronic health conditions, it makes sense that keeping insulin in a lower physiologic range may be better for your long-term health. When glucose levels fall, less insulin is secreted. When glucose levels rise, more insulin is secreted. That’s because both too high and too low blood glucose levels are dangerous and damaging to the body. Its primary role is to keep our blood glucose levels in a very tight range - called blood glucose homeostasis. This causes the pancreas to secrete even more of this important hormone in an effort to keep your blood sugar stable. Insulin resistance is when cells in your body do not respond effectively to the hormone insulin that is circulating in your body. In a second, related guide, “How to reverse insulin resistance”, we will suggest concrete steps you can take to help your body become sensitive to insulin once more, and help prevent metabolic health problems, especially type 2 diabetes, from developing in the future. This in-depth guide will explain the science behind insulin resistance, help you understand why it happens and suggest the best way to get the condition diagnosed long before serious conditions like type 2 diabetes develop. So how does insulin resistance start? How do you know if you are affected? And what can you do about it? Many people with the condition are unaware that they have it.Īlso concerning? Insulin resistance is being linked to an increased risk of some cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, mental health disorders, and other chronic conditions. Among adults with type 2 diabetes, the prevalence of insulin resistance rises to over 80%.
Insulin resistance can be found in up to 44% of obese adolescents and 70% of obese women. When we look at people with obesity, the numbers get worse. 1 Though the overall percentage has been fairly stable since the NHANES 2003-2006 data were released, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among young adults, Hispanic persons, and Asian persons has demonstrated a statistically significant increase.
On the basis of NHANES 2011-2016 data, the prevalence of the insulin resistance syndrome (AKA metabolic syndrome) in the United States is 35%. Have you been told you have insulin resistance? You’re not alone. Insulin resistance is a very common condition that often accompanies obesity or a diagnosis of pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), cardiovascular disease, and other metabolic conditions such as hypertension and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. What happens, however, when our tissues have trouble responding to it? That’s insulin resistance. Insulin is an essential hormone that we cannot live without.