Often, some pathologies are the origin of more serious diseases such as diabetes or certain heart complications. This is the case of so-called insulin resistance , a more common metabolic disorder than we think.
When we eat food, blood glucose (or sugar) levels rise. To control them, the pancreas secretes a hormone called insulin, which allows glucose to enter the cells, thus obtaining energy for our body. Insulin resistance occurs when the body does not respond to the hormone , preventing glucose from entering cells and accumulating it in the blood. At FastlyHeal we bring you all the details of the causes, symptoms and treatment of insulin resistance .
Table of Contents
Causes of insulin resistance
Despite this condition, the pancreas does not stop producing the insulin necessary for glucose to enter the cells. Therefore, a vicious circle is entered that can lead to diabetes when the pancreas is exhausted and is no longer able to continue creating this hormone.
And what generates this complication? Often, the insulin resistance is associated with other health problems such as high cholesterol, obesity, high blood pressure or high triglycerides. The combination of some of these factors is called metabolic syndrome and having it increases the chances of suffering from insulin resistance. Genetic history, a sedentary lifestyle, and poor diet can also be risk factors.
Symptoms of insulin resistance
Insulin resistance is difficult to detect until glucose levels begin to rise excessively. Still, some recognizable signs in this problem are increased appetite, fatigue, or weight changes, all related to a lack of energy. Therefore, the best remedy is prevention , that is, seeking a healthy lifestyle.
Insulin resistance is diagnosed by a blood test and a physical exam. The doctor will pay special attention to problems such as being overweight, high blood sugar, fat or cholesterol levels or acanthosis nigricans (dark spots on the neck, armpits and groin). The more factors you suffer, the higher your risk for insulin resistance or heart disease.
Treatment of insulin resistance
The most effective method of treating this metabolic problem is a change in lifestyle . This starts with losing weight if you are obese, reducing fat in your abdomen, doing regular exercise and choosing a healthy diet; very effective strategies both to avoid and to treat insulin resistance and also other health complications. Some of the guidelines to achieve this are the following:
- Modify the diet trying to reduce the intake of saturated or animal fats along with sugars, and in turn increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables, fiber and unsaturated fats such as olive oil. It is advisable, of course, to avoid alcohol and tobacco.
- Perform physical exercise in order to reduce the body mass index and also improve the body’s sensitivity to insulin.
- Some drugs can help improve some metabolic disorders, but this depends on each case and should always be supervised by a doctor.
A healthy lifestyle will help you anticipate insulin resistance and will also decrease your chances of developing other health problems in the future. Maintaining a healthy body is in your hands.
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Insulin resistance: causes, symptoms and treatment , we recommend that you enter our Endocrine System category .
I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.