WHAT IS INSULIN RESISTANCE?

Insulin is a hormone that acts
like a key by unlocking your cells to
let in glucose (a kind of sugar)
from your blood to make energy.
Insulin resistance is a condition where your cells do not allow
insulin to unlock and let in glucose from blood to cells to bring out
energy. Since, glucose cannot enter your cells, then
glucose builds up in your blood,
even when you make more
insulin. The reason why cells stop responding to insulin is still
baffling scientists.

SYMPTOMS OF INSULIN RESISTANCE
You could have insulin resistance for a
long time without any symptoms.
Dark
patches of skin on their necks,
elbows, knees, hands, and
armpits are some symptoms of severe insulin
resistance.

RISK FACTORS FOR INSULIN RESISTANCE
You are at risk of having
insulin resistant if you're
overweight, don't get enough
exercise, have high blood
pressure, or you smoke.

Blood and Heart Trouble
malfunctioning blood
system can also high the chance of getting insulin
resistance, including low HDL
"good" cholesterol, high levels of
a kind of fat called triglycerides in
your blood, heart disease, a
previous stroke, and blood vessel
disease in your neck or legs.

Another factor that can put you at risk of insulin resistance is your
family history as people with an African American,
Hispanic/Latino, Native American,
Asian American, or a Pacific
Islander heritage are more likely
to become resistant to insulin.

Diabetes is another factor that could cause insulin resistance. If
your parent, brother, or sister
has type 2 diabetes, your risk is
higher. If your mother had
diabetes while she was pregnant
with you (gestational diabetes),
your risk also goes up.

HOW TO TEST FOR INSULIN RESISTANCE
Your doctor will
probably test you for prediabetes because the test for insulin resistance is
complicated and uncomfortable. A lab test can check the "average" blood
sugar level for the past few
months. You're
insulin resistant if your glucose level is higher
than normal.

COMPLICATION OF INSULIN RESISTANCE
Insulin resistance can lead to diabetes.

This because it will difficult for your pancreas to
keep producing extra insulin
to try to get glucose into your
body's cells. This could burn out the cells
that make insulin,
leading to prediabetes and type
2 diabetes. The only way to stop this is to detect insulin
resistance early and make
changes to your lifestyle.