Insulin resistance occurs when cells in muscles, fat, and the liver don’t respond well to insulin and can’t easily absorb glucose from the blood. As a result, the pancreas makes more insulin to help glucose enter cells.
How It Develops:
Over time, when cells are constantly exposed to high insulin levels, they become less sensitive to its signals. The pancreas compensates by producing even more insulin, creating a cycle that can eventually lead to consistently elevated blood sugar levels. This is a key step in developing prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
Common Causes:
Factors that contribute to insulin resistance include excess body weight (especially abdominal fat), physical inactivity, poor diet (especially high in processed foods and sugar), chronic stress, lack of sleep, genetics, and certain hormonal conditions like PCOS.
Signs and Symptoms:
Insulin resistance often has no obvious symptoms initially. Over time, you might notice increased hunger and cravings, fatigue (especially after meals), difficulty concentrating, weight gain (especially around the abdomen), high blood pressure, dark patches of skin in body folds (acanthosis nigricans), and skin tags. Blood tests showing elevated fasting insulin, glucose, or HbA1c indicate insulin resistance.
