Insulin resistance occurs when this hormone has less ability to put blood glucose inside cells, so glucose remains in the blood at higher than normal concentrations. This syndrome is caused by the combination of inherited influences with other diseases and lifestyle habits of the person such as the presence of obesity, physical inactivity and increased cholesterol, for example.
This resistance is detected by a blood test, which leads to a rise in blood sugar, especially after food reaches the body.
- This syndrome is considered a form of prediabetes.
- As it is not treated and corrected over time by controlling diet.
- Weight loss and physical activity.
- Over time it will become type 2 diabetes.
Insulin resistance syndrome usually does not cause symptoms and, therefore, to confirm its presence, the glucose tolerance curve, also called the oral glucose tolerance test, should be examined.
This test is performed using the glucose value after ingestion of 75 g of a sweet liquid. The interpretation of the glucose tolerance curve after 2 hours of liquid consumption is as follows:
As insulin resistance worsens, in addition to glucose rising after eating, it also becomes raised in fasting, because the liver tries to compensate for the lack of az-car inside the cells. For this reason, the fasting glucose test may also be performed to assess the degree of resistance.
Blood glucose values in the audio system
Learn more about how the glucose tolerance curve is performed.
During this period, glucose levels can still be monitored as the body stimulates the pancreas to produce ever higher insulin levels, to compensate for resistance to its action.
For this reason, another way to diagnose the presence of this syndrome is to calculate the insulin resistance index (Homa-IR), which is a calculation that is made to evaluate the relationship between the amount of sugar and the amount of insulin in the blood.
The normal homa index values are generally as follows
These reference values may vary depending on the laboratory and the patient has a very high body mass index (BMI), so it should always be interpreted by the doctor. Learn what to do and how to calculate the Homa index.
However, after a few months or years with insulin resistance syndrome, type 2 diabetes occurs, as the pancreas begins to decline and decreases the production of insulin needed by the body, this disease causes symptoms such as thirst and excess amber, as well as various complications in organs such as the eyes, kidneys, heart and skin. Learn more about symptoms, treatment, and complications of type 2 diabetes.
This syndrome most often occurs in people with a genetic predisposition, as well as in other family members who have had diabetes, for example.
However, it could develop even in people who do not have this risk, due to lifestyle habits that disrupt metabolism such as obesity, increased abdominal circumference, over-carb nutrition, inactivity, high blood pressure and increased cholesterol and triglycerides.
In addition to this, hormonal changes, especially in women, can also increase the chances of developing insulin resistance, as well as in women with polycystic ovary syndrome In these women, changes that cause a menstrual imbalance and an increase in androgen hormones also cause uncontrolled insulin function. .
If insulin resistance treatment is done correctly can cure and prevent the disease from getting worse in diabetes, to treat this condition the advice of the family doctor or endocrinologist is necessary and consists of losing weight loss with diet and physical activity, as well as maintaining blood sugar control, with medical follow-up every 3 hours or 6 months.
The doctor may, in cases where the risk of developing diabetes is high, prescribe medications such as metformin, which is a drug that helps control glucose production in the liver and increases insulin sensitivity, because the muscle uses a larger percentage of glucose. if the person is set up in treatment with diet and physical activity, medication use may not be necessary.