Insulin Resistance Flashcards
What causes insulin resistance?
Genetic factors and lifestyle.
Modern lifestyles with rich diet and little exercise is associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
Increase in body weight can trigger insulin resistance in people that are genetically prone to the condition.
Around 25% of the world are thought to be insulin resistant, however this does not mean that they have diabetes.
Linked to other conditions such as high blood pressure and cholesterol problems, which can lead to heart and circulation problems. This may be why people with type 2 diabetes are more likely to develop heart disease or stroke.
Heart disease is the most common cause of death amongst people with type 2 diabetes.
How is insulin resistance treated?
Weight loss.
Increase in physical activity.
The above can initially control insulin resistance, although over time it may be necessary to take medication or insulin also.
Treating underlying insulin resistance can help to reduce the likelihood of heart disease or stroke for people with type 2 diabetes.
What is insulin resistance?
The body may produce some insulin but not enough.
If the body does produce insulin then cells may not respond to it.
This means that the insulin that the body is producing doesn’t work effectively, therefore the body is not taking in enough glucose, resulting in rising glucose levels in the blood stream.
If these levels are too high then the patient may be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
