Diabetes and insulin resistance are not the same conditions, yet they are linked and can affect one another. The cause of your insulin resistance and whether you have been diagnosed with diabetes may affect your course of treatment.
Diabetes and insulin resistance are closely associated. However, not everyone with diabetes has insulin resistance, and not everyone with insulin resistance has diabetes.
But more specifically, insulin resistance raises the risk of type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. The parallels and discrepancies between diabetes and insulin resistance are discussed in this article.
What distinctions exist between diabetes and insulin resistance?
They are very distinct, even if they are related.
The ability of your body to produce or utilize insulin, a vital hormone that permits glucose from the bloodstream to reach the body’s cells for use as fuel, is linked to both. A person’s body cannot properly produce or use insulin as it would when they have prediabetes, diabetes, or are developing insulin resistance.
Insulin resistance is when your body needs to secrete more insulin than normal in order to control blood sugar levels. Many people do not have diabetes, yet they are insulin resistant.
Insulin resistance can eventually result in prediabetes and type 2 diabetes if it is not treated.
When the body becomes so insulin resistant that the pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin to maintain normal blood sugar levels and your cells are not responding to the insulin your body is secreting, prediabetes and type 2 diabetes develop.
Diabetes patients must control their blood sugar levels with food, exercise, and occasionally prescription drugs like insulin or metformin.
Type 1 diabetes does not result from insulin resistance. Due to the immune system’s destruction of the pancreatic beta cells that produce insulin in this autoimmune illness, the body is unable to produce any insulin.
However, T1D patients may eventually develop insulin resistance, which makes controlling blood sugar levels more challenging.
What signs of insulin resistance are present?
The signs and symptoms of insulin resistance are not as obvious as those of diabetes and might go unnoticed for years.
Any of the following symptoms could indicate that you are becoming insulin resistant:
- blood sugar levels that are greater than usual (100 mg/dL or more if you haven’t eaten in several hours)
- elevated triglycerides during fasting (150 mg/dL or above)
- elevated LDL cholesterol
- are not active
- obesity
But there are more signs of insulin resistance that may include:
- men with waists larger than 40 inches and women with waists larger than 35 inches
- skin tags or larger, darker-than-normal skin patches (acanthosis nigricans)
- blood pressure of at least 130/80
- the three-month mean glucose test (A1C) in the range of 5.7% to 6.3%
- Less than 40 mg/dL for men and less than 50 mg/dL for women in terms of HDL cholesterol
What effects does insulin resistance have on diabetes?
Insulin resistance can make it extremely difficult to control and maintain your blood sugar levels within a healthy range. Additionally, it may result in persistently elevated blood sugar and A1C readings, raising your chance of developing long-term problems from diabetes.
If you take exogenous insulin, insulin resistance will force you to take more of it or cause your body to secrete more insulin in response to the meals you eat on a regular basis.
Additionally, this may result in weight gain, which could make managing your diabetes more difficult. This includes exercising and keeping your blood pressure and cholesterol levels within normal ranges.
Read Also: Do Blueberries Help People with Diabetes?
What effect does insulin resistance have on obesity?
Insulin resistance is mostly caused by excess body fat in the form of obesity, especially visceral fat, which is stored around the organs and in the abdomen.
The greatest approaches to lessen insulin resistance and your risk of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes are to lose extra weight and to exercise.
Is it possible to be insulin resistant and not have diabetes?
It’s possible, indeed.
According to a study conducted in 2021, 40% of adult Americans are insulin resistant. Numerous individuals in that group also had type 2 diabetes or prediabetes.
Many people have insulin resistance for years prior to acquiring type 2 diabetes or prediabetes; some may never get either of those illnesses. However, type 2 diabetes and prediabetes are mostly brought on by insulin resistance.
If you have insulin resistance, you should talk to your doctor about how to get it under control so that you don’t have problems down the road.
How is insulin resistance treated?
Reversing insulin resistance primarily involves getting physically active, eating a diet prescribed by a physician, and shedding excess body weight.
Consult your physician about creating a diet plan that can help you achieve your health objectives and how to add in additional exercise.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most individuals should engage in moderate physical activity for at least 150 minutes per week, which equates to at least 30 minutes per day most days of the week, and strength training for at least two days of the week.
When to need medical help
Speak to your doctor if you’re feeling under the weather. In the event that you exhibit any of the following signs (indicating diabetes), get help right away:
- excessive hydration
- a lot of urinating
- fruity-smelling breath
- illnesses or wounds that heal slowly
- inexplicable drop in weight
- eyesight alterations or blurriness
- weariness or sluggishness
Conclusion
Diabetes and insulin resistance are not the same conditions, despite their close relationship. The phrase “insulin resistance” refers to the condition where your body has to secrete more insulin than normal in order to control blood sugar levels.
When your blood sugar levels rise above a certain point because your body isn’t making enough insulin, you are diagnosed with diabetes. Insulin resistance is a common condition in persons without diabetes, but it can also cause prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
Should you exhibit the telltale signs and symptoms of insulin resistance, you should speak with your physician or other member of your healthcare team. It may be crucial to address this before being diagnosed with diabetes.
Be the first to comment on "Are Diabetes and Insulin Resistance the Same Thing?"