New Delhi: As per a new study, insulin resistance is associated with 31 diseases and early death risk in women. Insulin resistance is a state characterised by the body’s inability to respond to insulin well – this hormone is produced by the pancreas and it helps cells absorb sugar from the blood and then burn it in the form of energy. Insulin resistance can occur when one eats too much sugar, thereby putting too much pressure on the pancreas to release the hormone. While it was earlier only associated with diabetes and obesity, the findings presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) annual meeting in Madrid, Spain, stated that there could be other complications as well.
How does insulin resistance affect health?
Researchers found a strong association between insulin resistance and health problems like sciatica, Parkinson’s disease, and gout. It is also linked with type-2 diabetes, especially when coupled with sedentary lifestyle and obesity. In the long run, if left untreated, it may also raise heart disease risk. Researchers at Shandong University, China, to know more about the same, analysed data from 4,29,000 participants in the UK Biobank. For this, they anaylsed insulin resistance with the TyG index which is relied upon to analyse fat and blood sugar levels.
Participants were aged 40-69 and their TyG score ranged from 5.87 to 12.46 units. The scores herein were calculated by evaluating fat levels and blood sugar. The study also noted that insulin resistance was more common in men, older adults, smokers, less active, and obese people. By assessing insulin resistance levels, the risk of hypertension, obesity, sciatica, gout, and other health problems can be estimated. This can pave the way for timely intervention to further reduce the risk of diseases and also for timely intervention and treatment.
The study also tracked health records of participants for 13 years and found that higher insulin resistance was associated with the following health problems:
Sleep disorders
Pancreatitis
Bacterial infections
Early death risk in women
Obesity
Heart diseases
Renal failure
Depression
Anaemia
Osteoporosis
Researchers found a strong association between insulin resistance and health problems like sciatica, Parkinson’s disease, and gout. It is also linked with type-2 diabetes, especially when coupled with sedentary lifestyle and obesity. Health News Health News: Latest News from Health Care, Mental Health, Weight Loss, Disease, Nutrition, Healthcare
