Insulin resistance is a condition that can lead to a type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes typically affects people later in life and can cause serious complications. Both men and women can be affected by insulin resistance and diabetes. Insulin resistance can be treated with lifestyle changes, including diet.
Insulin Resistance
Insulin is a hormone that helps your body regulate blood glucose levels. Insulin increases the uptake of glucose by your muscle, fat and liver cells. If you have insulin resistance, these cells do not respond as efficiently to insulin. Initially, your body can compensate for this by increasing insulin levels, but over time insulin resistance can cause blood glucose levels to rise.
Risk Factors For Insulin Resistance
Many of the factors that increase the risk of developing insulin resistance are the same for men as for women. Men are more likely to develop insulin resistance if they are inactive physically, if they have high blood pressure, if they have close relatives with diabetes and if they are overweight or obese. Men who have a waist-to-hip ratio of 1.0 or greater also have an increased risk of developing insulin resistance.
Insulin Resistance and Hormones
Some of the major risk factors for insulin resistance are female-specific, such as a history of gestational diabetes or polycystic ovarian syndrome. However, there are male-specific factors that also can lead to insulin resistance. For most men, testosterone levels gradually decrease as they get older, and low levels of testosterone are associated with an increased risk of insulin resistance.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Men can be diagnosed with insulin resistance using a variety of tests, including the oral glucose tolerance test. This test involves measuring blood glucose levels before and after drinking a standardized sweet liquid. Men can treat insulin resistance by losing weight and by exercising more, as these activities help the body respond more efficiently to insulin levels. Without treatment, insulin resistance can lead to type 2 diabetes, which can cause heart disease, retinal damage, nerve injury and vision problems.
