Preventing Insulin Resistance Isn’t Just About Preventing Diabetes
When you hear the term “insulin resistance,” you probably think of prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. While it’s true that insulin resistance is at the root of both these conditions, its impact goes far beyond blood sugar control. Insulin resistance is linked to a wide array of health issues—ranging from heart disease and obesity to Alzheimer’s disease and even certain cancers. Understanding insulin resistance as a systemic health issue is essential for protecting your long-term well-being.
What Is Insulin Resistance?
Insulin resistance occurs when the body’s fat, liver and muscle cells become less responsive to insulin, a hormone responsible for escorting blood sugar into cells for energy. As a result, the pancreas produces more insulin to stabilize blood sugar levels.
However, insulin and blood sugar levels continue to rise, causing greater fat storage, particularly around the midsection. Insulin resistance also promotes chronic, low-grade inflammation throughout the body, damaging tissues and blood vessels. This creates a systemic problem that raises the risk of many chronic diseases. And of course, if blood sugar levels remain elevated over time, the extra demand placed on the pancreas could progress into prediabetes or type 2 diabetes.
The differences between insulin resistance, prediabetes and type 2 diabetes lie in their severity and diagnostic criteria. Insulin resistance is the earliest stage—blood sugar levels may still be normal, but insulin levels are elevated. The term prediabetes is used when blood sugar levels rise above normal but haven’t reached diabetic levels. Type 2 diabetes is diagnosed when blood sugar is consistently high due to both insulin resistance and impaired insulin production.
Insulin resistance develops slowly and without symptoms. Unfortunately, by the time many people realize that their blood sugar levels have been elevated, there’s a good chance that blood vessels, nerves and organs are already injured and chronic disease has begun developing.
Health Conditions Linked to Insulin Resistance
When insulin resistance disrupts this equilibrium, the ratios of blood sugar, fats and insulin become unhealthy, potentially triggering the development of diseases such as:
- Bacterial Infections (Insulin resistance impairs immune function, increasing susceptibility)
- Cancer (i.e., breast, colorectal, liver, pancreatic, endometrial, lung and prostate)
- Cancer Progression
- Dementia (including Alzheimer’s disease)
- Diabetes: Prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes
- Gout
- Heart Disease
- High Blood Pressure
- Inflammation (insulin resistance is a cause and effect of inflammation and inflammatory conditions)
- Metabolic Syndrome
- Neuropathy/sciatica-like symptoms
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) (it’s not known if insulin resistance causes PCOS, but many women with PCOS also are insulin resistant)
- Sleep Disorders
- Unhealthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels
- Vision problems
- Weight gain and obesity
Signs and Symptoms
- Insulin resistance is often overlooked. However, there are some early warning signs, which include:
- Fatigue
- Increased hunger and thirst
- Unintentional weight changes
- Blurred vision, as well as other vision changes
- Yeast infections
- Frequent urination
- Difficulty losing weight
- Skin tags
- Dark patches of skin (acanthosis nigricans)
Prevention
You can acquire insulin resistance through genetic conditions and hormonal disorders, but it’s largely related to lifestyle behaviors. Here are some interventions that can help prevent and control insulin resistance.
Exercise regularly. Physical activity helps your body remain sensitive to insulin. Exercise, particularly strength training, contributes to gaining and maintaining muscle mass, which helps stabilize insulin and blood sugar levels. Exercise also helps burn body fat, one of the prime culprits of insulin resistance. In fact, a sedentary lifestyle raises your risk for developing insulin resistance. Your weekly workout routine should include at least aerobic and resistance training programs. Discuss exercise with your doctor before adopting or changing a fitness regimen.
Eat a healthy diet. Regularly consuming foods high in sugar and unhealthy fats can impair insulin function. Your diet should consist of whole foods, including vegetables, healthy fats, lean proteins and minimally processed carbs. Limit your intake to foods that are ultra-processed or made with added sugars or artificial sweeteners.
Get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation makes it difficult for your body to remain sensitive to insulin. You should sleep between seven and nine hours each night to help prevent insulin resistance and related conditions.
Manage stress. Chronic stress is notorious for causing weight gain and fat accumulation, which exacerbates insulin resistance. Stress management is an important component of blood sugar control and overall health.
Quit smoking. Nicotine alters cellular processes, causing cells to stop responding properly to insulin. If you smoke, quitting is one of the most important steps you can take to maintain your health and quality of life.
Most importantly, work with your primary care physician. Regular physical examinations and the MDVIP Wellness Program include blood tests that help doctors find insulin resistance, even if you don’t have symptoms.
As an MDVIP-affiliated physician, I partner with my patients to help them prevent and manage insulin resistance. I use the results from their annual MDVIP Wellness Program to create a personalized wellness plan that focuses on alleviating risk factors such as being sedentary, following an unhealthy diet, having poor sleep habits, being stressed and having elevated blood fat levels.
If you don’t have a primary care physician, consider joining an MDVIP-affiliated practice. MDVIP-affiliated physicians have more time to help you in your pursuit of a healthier lifestyle. Find a physician near you and begin your partnership in health »