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INSULIN RESISTANCE TREATMENT

What Is Insulin Resistance?

Insulin resistance is when cells in your muscles, fat, and liver don’t respond well to insulin, a hormone made by your pancreas that helps manage your blood glucose (blood sugar). Sometimes, insulin resistance is a short-term condition. But if left untreated for a long time, it could turn into diabetes.

Your body’s main source of fuel is glucose, which it gets by breaking down the food you eat. Once glucose enters your bloodstream, insulin helps it get into your cells, where it’s either used or stored for later. That signals your pancreas to stop making insulin.

But if you have insulin resistance, this process doesn’t work well. Your cells aren’t letting glucose in when insulin “asks” them to. As a result, more and more blood glucose piles up in your bloodstream. And your pancreas keeps making insulin.

For a while, your pancreas may be able to make so much extra insulin that your cells open up and let in glucose the way they’re supposed to. That will keep your blood sugar within a normal range. But over time, your cells may become more insulin resistant and your blood glucose levels could keep rising.

Insulin Resistance Symptoms

You can’t tell that you have insulin resistance by how you feel. You’ll need to get a blood test that checks your blood sugar levels.

Likewise, you won’t know if you have most of the other conditions that are part of insulin resistance syndrome (high blood pressure, low “good” cholesterol levels, and high triglycerides) without seeing your doctor.

Some signs of insulin resistance include:

  • A waistline over 40 inches in men and 35 inches in women
  • Blood pressure readings of 130/80 or higher
  • A fasting glucose level over 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL)
  • A fasting triglyceride level over 150 mg/dL
  • An HDL cholesterol level under 40 mg/dL in men and 50 mg/dL in women
  • Skin tags
  • Patches of dark, velvety skin under your arms or on your neck (acanthosis nigricans)
  • Damage to tiny blood vessels in the backs of your eyes, which can lead to a condition called retinopathy

Insulin Resistance Diagnosis

Insulin resistance test

There isn’t one specific test that checks for it. To figure out if you have insulin resistance, your doctor will rely on a combination of the following:

Questions. Your family’s health history and your personal lifestyle.

Physical exam. 

Fasting plasma glucose test. This blood test measures your blood sugar after you haven’t eaten for at least 8 hours.

Oral glucose tolerance test. First, you’ll take the fasting glucose test. Then you’ll drink a sugary solution. Two hours after that, you’ll take another blood test.

Hemoglobin A1c test. This blood test shows your average blood sugar level for the past 2 to 3 months. Doctors use it to diagnose prediabetes or diabetes. You may need to take the test more than once to confirm the results.

Lipid panel. Lipids are fatty compounds in your blood, like ‘bad” LDL and “good” HDL cholesterol and triglycerides. A blood test can check your levels. High triglycerides and low “good” cholesterol have been linked to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

Insulin Resistance Complications

If left untreated, insulin resistance could lead to:

  • Liver disease
  • Increased triglycerides
  • Increased LDL (“bad”) cholesterol
  • Heart disease
  • Eye issues
  • Some types of cancer
  • Alzheimer’s disease

Insulin Resistance Treatment

The goal of insulin resistance treatment is to lower your blood sugar levels and prevent type 2 diabetes. 

Medication for insulin resistance

There’s no medicine that can cure insulin resistance. But your doctor may prescribe drugs to treat other health issues you have, like high blood pressure or high LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.

If you’re at increased risk of diabetes, you might also get a medication called metformin (Fortamet, Glucophage, Glumetza, Riomet). It’s usually prescribed to people with diabetes to help keep blood sugar in check.

Reversing insulin resistance

Lifestyle changes like these can often help reverse insulin resistance.

Exercise. Being active improves how well your body uses insulin. Find an activity you enjoy so you’re more likely to do it often. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate activity (like brisk walking) 5 or more days a week. Just starting out? Work up to that.

Get to a healthy weight. Losing as little as 5% to 7% of your weight can really lower your risk of type 2 diabetes. If you’re not sure how to reach a weight loss goal, ask your doctor. You may also want to talk with a nutritionist and a certified personal trainer.

Eat fewer processed foods. While no foods are “bad” or off-limits, try to cut back on refined carbohydrates (like packaged baked goods), which tell your body to make more insulin.

Manage your stress. Your blood sugar levels can rise when you get stressed. If you have a lot of worries or feel overwhelmed, talking to a counselor or therapist could help.

Get enough sleep. Sleeping less than 7 hours a night can increase your insulin resistance. To get more rest, try not to nap after 3 p.m. and avoid alcohol and large meals before bed. 

Stop smoking. Tobacco can increase insulin resistance.

Keep in mind that insulin resistance is a complex condition that doctors don’t fully understand. In some cases, your blood sugar levels may not drop back to normal levels. But you may still be able to manage them.