Not Covering Your Chances of Experiencing Insulin Resistance

In fact, there are no specific signs that a person has insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is a condition when body cells cannot use blood sugar properly due to disruption of the body's response to insulin. A person can experience insulin resistance for years without ever knowing it.

The body digests carbohydrates in food into glucose and then releases them into the blood. The body's cells will absorb glucose aided by the hormone insulin produced by the pancreas gland. Furthermore, the absorbed glucose will be converted into energy in the cell.

Not Covering Your Chances of Experiencing Insulin Resistance

When a person experiences insulin resistance, the pancreas still produces insulin, but the body's cells do not absorb glucose properly. This condition causes a buildup of glucose in the blood, making the body's glucose level higher than normal. On a more severe level, this condition can cause type 2 diabetes. If glucose levels are more than normal but not included in the criteria for type 2 diabetes, this condition is called prediabetes.

Risk Factors Triggering Insulin Resistance

The cause of insulin resistance is not known with certainty, but there are some things that have a relationship or a factor that someone is more at risk of insulin resistance, including:

• Being overweight or obese.
• Unhealthy living habits, such as smoking and rarely physical or sports activities (sedentary lifestyle).
• Have a family member who has diabetes.
• The habit of consuming high-sugar and high-carbohydrate foods.
• Have gestational diabetes.
• Pregnancy.
• Prolonged stress.
• Taking corticosteroid drugs.
• A man with a waist circumference of more than 90 cm and a woman with a waist circumference of more than 80 cm.
• More than 45 years old.
• Have a history of high blood pressure, high cholesterol or triglyceride levels, and heart disease.
• Suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome.

In addition to being more at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance sufferers can have or are more at risk of experiencing health problems as follows:

• Fatty liver

Fatty liver is a buildup of fat in the liver caused by uncontrolled fat. One of the causes is insulin resistance.

• Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is thickening and hardening of the walls of large or medium arteries. Atherosclerosis is at risk of causing stroke, coronary heart disease, and peripheral vascular disease.

• Skin lesions, diaphylosis, and skin tags

High blood sugar levels due to insulin resistance can interfere with the wound healing process. Some people with insulin resistance can experience a condition called akantosis nigrikans with features of black spots on the neck, armpits, or groin. Meanwhile, skin tags are protruding or hanging skin surfaces.

• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

PCOS is a hormonal disorder that affects a woman's menstrual cycle. This condition can also have an impact on female fertility.

• Growth disorders

High levels of insulin can have an impact on body growth because insulin itself is a hormone that supports growth.

How to reduce the risk of insulin resistance

Although it is not known exactly what the cause is, but the good news is there are ways that can be done to reduce the risk of insulin resistance, including:

• Exercise for at least 30 minutes per day with moderate types of activities, such as brisk walking. Do this activity at least 5 times a week.
• Get used to eating healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, protein, and whole grains. Stay away from high cholesterol foods.
• Keep your weight to be ideal. If you are overweight, consult a doctor for a healthy weight loss program.
• Limit consumption of high glycemic index carbohydrates which can increase blood sugar levels quickly, such as white bread, sugar and raw corn. Also, the habit of consuming processed products from potatoes such as potato chips or French fries, and high cholesterol foods.
• Eat foods with a low glycemic index, such as fiber-rich foods (brown rice, whole wheat bread) and starch-free vegetables (asparagus, carrots, broccoli).

Because insulin resistance usually does not cause special symptoms, the best way to find out is to do routine health checks and blood tests to determine blood sugar levels and HbA1C tests. The HbA1C test is a blood test to evaluate blood sugar levels in the last 3 months. As a precautionary measure, you should check your blood sugar levels regularly by consulting a doctor first.