Our bodies rely on the energy we get from food. The hormone insulin, which the pancreas produces, plays a key role in this process. It acts as a signal that tells our cells to absorb sugars and convert them into the energy we need to live.
For those with insulin resistance, however, things work differently. Their body cells don’t respond to the signal insulin sends as readily, so it takes higher levels of insulin to convert sugar into energy. The pancreas tries to overcome this resistance by increasing insulin production to regulate the blood sugar.
In people who are predisposed, for example through genetic risk, the pancreas can’t make enough insulin to keep up with demand. This causes blood sugar levels to increase to unhealthy levels, and can lead to conditions such as diabetes.
Deborah J. Wexler, MD, MSc, is a Mass General Brigham endocrinologist. She is the associate clinical chief of the Massachusetts General Hospital Diabetes Unit, and clinical director of the Mass General Diabetes Center. Dr. Wexler answers common questions about insulin resistance, including its causes and how it is treated.
There are many potential causes for insulin resistance, but it often develops in people who carry extra weight.
“Extra weight ends up getting stored in places it shouldn’t be, like the liver and other tissues,” Dr. Wexler explains. “Some people tend to gain weight in their upper bodies while other people tend to store their excess weight in their hips or lower bodies. It’s the ‘apple shaped’ people who tend to have more problems with insulin resistance, because the excess weight is being stored in the liver and other abdominal organs.”
You do not have to be obese or overweight to develop insulin resistance. Risk factors for insulin resistance can also relate to a person’s lifestyle or genetics. For example:
Many conditions can coexist with insulin resistance. According to Dr. Wexler, these include:
“The best treatments for insulin resistance are the best treatments for overweight or obesity. They’re also the best ways to just stay healthy overall,” says Dr. Wexler. They include:
“Insulin resistance isn’t a disease in and of itself; it’s a phenomenon that goes along with many other conditions,” says Dr. Wexler. “Simple steps can improve insulin resistance and reduce the risk of a lot of the health conditions that go along with it.”