{"id":45632,"date":"2021-11-10T09:30:46","date_gmt":"2021-11-10T14:30:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=45632"},"modified":"2025-08-20T14:20:18","modified_gmt":"2025-08-20T18:20:18","slug":"insulin-resistance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/insulin-resistance\/","title":{"rendered":"What is insulin resistance\u2014and can you reverse it?"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is insulin?<\/a> | What is insulin resistance?<\/a> | Causes and risk factors<\/a> | Symptoms<\/a> | Diagnosis<\/a> | How to reverse insulin resistance<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Insulin resistance is a condition in which your cells \u201cresist\u201d taking in insulin. Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas. It allows glucose (or sugar) to enter the cells of your muscles, fat, and liver, where it\u2019s used for energy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When your cells become less responsive to the effects of insulin\u2014aka, you become insulin resistant\u2014glucose builds up in your blood and less is absorbed into the cells. In an effort to get excess sugar out of the bloodstream and into your cells, the pancreas increases insulin production. At first the boost in insulin can stave off blood sugar issues, but eventually the cells get worn out and blood sugar rises, which leads to a whole host of problems, such as prediabetes, diabetes mellitus, and even heart disease and vision loss.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is insulin?<\/h2>\n

Insulin is a hormone that primarily serves to regulate blood sugar\u2014aka glucose.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sugar enters your bloodstream from the foods you eat\u2014mainly carbohydrates (like bread and pasta), fruit, dairy, processed foods, and sweets. In response to the influx of sugar, the pancreas makes insulin. When the body works optimally, the insulin binds to insulin receptors on your cells, helping the cells take in glucose where it\u2019s then used for energy. Excess glucose is efficiently stored in the liver until it\u2019s released into the body when glucose levels start to dip, such as between meals.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to controlling blood glucose levels, <\/span>insulin<\/span><\/a> also helps your body\u2019s cells take in amino acids and fatty acids. <\/span>Amino acids<\/span><\/a> are necessary for the body to build protein and <\/span>fatty acids<\/span><\/a> help cells and tissues function normally.<\/span><\/p>\n

What does insulin resistance mean?<\/h2>\n

Insulin resistance<\/span><\/a> is a condition in which your cells become resistant\u2014or less sensitive\u2014to the insulin your pancreas naturally makes. Research indicates it affects 32% of Americans. Worldwide, the incidence ranges from <\/span>15% to 46% of adults<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why your body may start resisting insulin isn\u2019t exactly clear. But when it does occur, glucose doesn\u2019t get absorbed into the cells the way it should, so higher-than-normal glucose levels remain in the bloodstream. In response to the elevated blood sugars, the pancreas amps up production of insulin in an effort to get the glucose into the cells.<\/span><\/p>\n

For a while, that increased insulin production can help keep blood sugar levels under control\u2014which is why insulin resistance often doesn\u2019t produce symptoms. And if insulin resistance and <\/span>pre-diabetes<\/span><\/a> is diagnosed and managed early, insulin resistance may never lead to diabetes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But when insulin resistance continues unabated, the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas eventually stop working properly and conditions like prediabetes and <\/span>Type 2 diabetes<\/span><\/a>\u2014in which your pancreas either doesn\u2019t make enough insulin or the body doesn\u2019t use it effectively\u2014emerge. By contrast, <\/span>Type 1 diabetes <\/span><\/a>is typically an inherited condition in which the pancreas doesn\u2019t make any insulin.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the <\/span>CDC<\/span><\/a>, Type 2 diabetes is diagnosed when fasting <\/span>blood sugar level<\/span><\/a> is <\/span>126 mg\/dL or above. Prediabetes is when your levels are 100-125 mg\/dl.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cInsulin resistance simply means your body is needing higher-than-normal amounts of insulin to maintain normal sugar levels,\u201d says <\/span>Rose Lin, MD<\/span><\/a>, an endocrinologist at Providence Saint John\u2019s Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif. \u201cPrediabetes, on the other hand, is defined by either an elevated fasting glucose or an elevation in postprandial [after a meal] glucose values. Both can signify the presence of insulin resistance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Causes and risk factors<\/h2>\n

No one really knows the causes of insulin resistance. Experts do know who has increased risk of developing insulin sensitivity. Some of the risk factors include:<\/span><\/p>\n

Family history<\/span><\/h3>\n

Family history of metabolic disorders, including insulin resistance and diabetes, puts you at increased risk of developing those conditions, too. In fact, <\/span>one study<\/span><\/a> notes that having a parent with diabetes increases your risk threefold.<\/span><\/p>\n

Obesity<\/span><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s not entirely clear why <\/span>obesity<\/span><\/a> may lead to insulin resistance, but it\u2019s thought that obesity causes <\/span>low-grade-but-widespread inflammation<\/span><\/a> throughout the body. Of particular note is \u201ccentral\u201d fat, or fat that collects around your belly. \u201cThis is known as visceral fat,\u201d says <\/span>Daniel Reichert, MD<\/span><\/a>, a family physician with Loma Linda University Health. \u201cThis type of fat produces cytokines, which are proteins that modulate inflammatory processes. They can also cause insulin to not work the way it should.\u201d According to the NIH\u2019s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders (NIDDK), it\u2019s been shown that men who have a <\/span>waist measurement <\/span><\/a>of 40 inches or more and women at 35 inches or more are at greater risk of insulin resistance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ethnicity\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Research<\/span><\/a> shows that those who identify as non-Hispanic White and African American have higher levels of insulin resistance than those who are Hispanic White and East\/South Asian.<\/span><\/p>\n

Physical inactivity<\/span><\/h3>\n

Being sedentary can increase your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers. \u201cAgain, it isn\u2019t entirely clear why [inactivity influences insulin resistance], but it may have something to do with cytokines and their inflammatory response,\u201d Dr. Reichert says.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Age<\/span><\/h3>\n

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) notes that older people are at increased risk of developing insulin resistance. Some <\/span>theories<\/span><\/a> include the fact that older individuals may be more likely to be overweight or obese, be less physically active, and have impaired cell function that leads to problems with insulin.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)<\/span><\/h3>\n

This is a hormonal disorder that affects up to <\/span>10% of women of childbearing age<\/span><\/a>, reports the Office on Women\u2019s Health. Without the proper balance of hormones, women with <\/span>PCOS<\/span><\/a> experience problems ovulating, menstruating, and getting pregnant. They also develop problems regulating insulin. Up to <\/span>70% of women with PCOS have insulin resistance<\/span><\/a> and, because of this, they have too much insulin circulating in their blood (called hyperinsulinemia).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Poor sleep<\/span><\/h3>\n

Sleep deprivation increases inflammatory proteins, oxidative stress (an overabundance of unstable molecules in your body that cause cell and tissue damage), and the body\u2019s stress hormone, cortisol. These factors negatively influence blood sugar levels in your body. According to the <\/span>Sleep Foundation<\/span><\/a>, just one night of poor sleep can increase insulin resistance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Smoking<\/span><\/h3>\n

According to research published in the <\/span>American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine<\/span><\/i><\/a>, cigarette smoking, probably due to the effects of nicotine, increases your risk of insulin resistance\u2014and the more you smoke, the greater your risk.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gestational diabetes<\/span><\/h3>\n

Thanks to the hormonal changes and weight gain that happen during pregnancy, many women develop some degree of insulin resistance late in pregnancy. However, if you experienced insulin resistance before you conceived, your chance of developing full-blown <\/span>gestational diabetes<\/span><\/a> (<\/span>diabetes while pregnant)<\/span><\/a> is even higher.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)<\/span><\/h3>\n

Insulin resistance can contribute to the development of NAFLD, a liver disease in which fat builds up in the liver. According to the NIDDK, <\/span>NAFLD<\/span><\/a> is more common in people who are overweight or obese or have other metabolic conditions, such as Type 2 diabetes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Insulin resistance symptoms<\/h2>\n

Because the body does a fairly effective job\u2014at least initially\u2014of compensating for the cells\u2019 decreased ability to absorb insulin, the symptoms of insulin resistance are often silent\u2014until you\u2019ve progressed to full-fledged diabetes. This underscores the importance of well visits with your physician and appropriate lab work. Central obesity, weight gain, elevated fasting blood sugars or hemoglobin A1c blood tests are easily diagnosed and a treatment plan can be instituted.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOnce you get into the diabetes phase, there are the three P\u2019s that are typically present: polyuria (or an increase in urination), polydipsia (or increased thirst), and polyphagia, which can cause people to lose weight even though they\u2019re eating more,\u201d Dr. Reichert says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While insulin resistance may not necessarily produce outward symptoms, there are some red flags that indicate you may have the disorder. \u201cInsulin resistance should be suspected in an individual if they have any three of the following five traits,\u201d says <\/span>Adil Alavi, MD<\/span><\/a>, an endocrinologist with the Community Care Network These traits, which together are known as metabolic syndrome, include having:<\/span><\/p>\n