35 years
What are the most common ways of detecting insulin resistance in a person?
Apr 17, 2015
Insulin resistance, which occurs when the organ tissues are no longer responsive to the action of insulin (which should usually induce tissues to take up glucose from the blood), usually suspected in persons with obesity and who may exhibit a certain physical finding known as acanthosis nigricans, which are described as patches of darkened (hyperpigmented) velvety skin, typically appearing over the posterior aspect of the neck, the armpits, and sometimes the groin.
People with a lean body (not obese) but who have risk factors for diabetes,including a personal history of elevated levels of fasting blood sugar or random blood sugar, lipid disease (dyslipidemia), or a strong family history of early-onset diabetes, may also develop insulin resistance, though here there are no visual clinical clues as in the case of obese patients. Of note, a person with insulin resistance may have a NORMAL level of fasting blood sugar.
The usual test for insulin resistance is a fasting blood insulin level. It is expected to be elevated (since the pancreas, which synthesizes and secretes insulin, responds to insulin resistance by increasing its production, and knowing that in healthy individuals, once the sugar in the blood that comes from the food we consume is stored in our organs, the blood level of insulin drop) .
People with a lean body (not obese) but who have risk factors for diabetes,including a personal history of elevated levels of fasting blood sugar or random blood sugar, lipid disease (dyslipidemia), or a strong family history of early-onset diabetes, may also develop insulin resistance, though here there are no visual clinical clues as in the case of obese patients. Of note, a person with insulin resistance may have a NORMAL level of fasting blood sugar.
The usual test for insulin resistance is a fasting blood insulin level. It is expected to be elevated (since the pancreas, which synthesizes and secretes insulin, responds to insulin resistance by increasing its production, and knowing that in healthy individuals, once the sugar in the blood that comes from the food we consume is stored in our organs, the blood level of insulin drop) .
•
