All About Insulin Resistance

Insulin resistance is a condition that raises your risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease. When you have insulin resistance, your body has problems using insulin. Over time, this makes your blood glucose (sugar) levels go up. The good news is that cutting calories, being active, and losing weight can reverse insulin resistance and lower your risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease. What does insulin do? Insulin helps your body use glucose for energy. When you eat, your body breaks food down into glucose and sends it into the blood. Then, insulin helps move the glucose from the blood into your cells. When you have insulin resistance, your body can’t use insulin properly. At first, your pancreas makes extra insulin to make up for it. But, over time your body isn't able to keep up and can't make enough insulin to keep your blood glucose at normal levels. If your blood glucose gets too high, you may have either prediabetes or diabetes. What raises your risk for insulin resistance? You are at risk if you • are overweight • are physically inactive • have a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes • are African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander • have polycystic ovary syndrome, also called PCOS • have had gestational diabetes, which is diabetes that develops during pregnancy • have given birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds • are age 45 or older • have had above-normal blood glucose levels • have high blood pressure • have low HDL (good) cholesterol • have high levels of blood fats called triglycerides • have had heart disease, a stroke, or disease of the blood vessels in your neck or legs. Some of these risk factors also raise your risk for heart disease. How is insulin resistance diagnosed? People with insulin resistance usually have no symptoms. Your health care provider can review your risk factors and then consider whether you’re likely to have diabetes. If you’re at risk, your health care provider should check your blood glucose levelsto see whether you might have prediabetes or diabetes. How can you prevent or reverse insulin resistance? You can eat less calories and be physically active. If you do, it’s more likely you’ll lose weight. Studies have shown that losing even 7% of your weight, may help. For example, if you're 200 pounds that means losing 14 pounds. Eat less Place a check mark next to the steps you’d like to try to eat fewer calories. A dietitian can help you find other ways to eat less and plan healthy meals. ❏ Eat smaller serving sizes. All About Insulin Resistance American Diabetes Association 1–800–DIA