Insulin is a critical hormone whose job is to provide energy to our cells and maintain blood sugars within a normal range. High insulin levels are typically a sign of malfunction, especially in the case of blood sugar levels running high. The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse defines a normal blood sugar range as between 70 and 120 mg/dl before meals.
Insulin Resistance
Chronic high insulin levels are the cause of what is known as insulin resistance. Specific identified genes are what cause high insulin levels and high blood sugars, according to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse. In diabetes, the body either does not make insulin at all, does not make enough or does not use what it has ineffectively. When cells that normally use insulin become unable to do so, the insulin instead builds up, causing a high insulin level as well as high blood sugar, since the insulin never made it into the cells to perform its job.
Medication
Some medications to help regulate blood sugars, such as Humulin, Novolin and Lantus, are formulated to mimic insulin or assist in helping insulin to work better. At times, the dosage of these medications is challenging to determine, and their effect can magnify issues as too little or too much insulin is released.
Inactivity and Obesity
Lack of physical activity and being overweight contribute to high insulin levels and blood sugars. Unfortunately, these also contribute to other health issues such as cardiovascular disease, which furthers the risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Eventually, these individuals are at a high risk for metabolic syndrome, defined as a group of risk factors linked to overweight and obesity as defined by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. These risk factors include a large waist line, high triglycerides, and higher than normal blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure.
References
- National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse: What Diabetes Is.
- "Metabolism"; Continually High Insulin Levels Impair Akt Phosphorylation and Glucose Transport in Human Myoblasts; Bertacca A et al.; December 2005.
- National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse: Insulin Resistance and Pre-diabetes
- The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: What is Metabolic Syndrome?
