Nov 09
26
The Serious Consequences of Insulin Resistance!
Insulin is a hormone produced by the beta cells in your pancreas and is secreted into your bloodstream to help normalize your blood sugar levels following a meal. It helps transfer glucose or sugar into your muscle and fat cells where it is used as a fuel or energy source. Insulin resistance occurs when insulin is unable to do its job of transferring sugars from your blood stream into your muscle and fat cells. Sugar then builds up in your blood stream and gradually leads to type 2 diabetes and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Therefore, insulin resistance (IR) is a medical condition waiting to explode; it will always have a measured impact of severity. Everyone who has type 2 diabetes has resistance to insulin, although not everyone who is insulin resistant has diabetes … yet!
Insulin resistance is a complex entity and is also responsible for:
- the metabolic syndrome
- polycystic ovarian syndrome
- playing a large role with high blood pressure, gout, and cholesterol abnormalities
It involves a spectrum of conditions and usually starts with:
- anyone who is obese with a BMI (body mass index) greater than 25
- males with a waist more than 40 inches (100 cm) or females with a waist greater than 35 inches (90 cm)
- people with close family members having type 2 diabetes
Despite the fact there is an association between insulin resistance and genetics, it may also be acquired. There is a very obvious connection between insulin resistance and obesity. The good news is it is very responsive to changes in your diet and lifestyle.
Insulin resistance is often seen with a diagnosis of pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes, a history of:
- high blood pressure
- low HDL or good cholesterol (HDL for females lower than 50 or males less than 40)
- high triglyceride levels
- expanding waist measurement
Therefore the pattern or warning signs for type 2 diabetes are any gradual changes over the years, in the above four measurements.Type 2 diabetes is often not diagnosed until the diabetic has a heart attack … why not ask your health care provider to check your fasting blood sugar levels and stay one step ahead?
