What are insulin resistance (IR) and hyperinsulinemia?
Beta cells in the pancreas produce insulin. Insulin stimulates uptake of glucose (sugar) from the blood to the cells in the body. When the body’s cells are resistant to the action of the insulin, it is called insulin resistance (IR). As a result of the insulin resistance, the pancreas produces much more insulin than normal. This is called hyperinsulinemia (Figures 1,2). As an example, in a normal person, 1 unit of insulin might be needed to help 10 mg of glucose go into the cell, but in a hyperinsulinemic person, 10 units of insulin might be needed to get the same 10 mg of glucose into the cell (Figure 2). With hyperinsulinemia and IR come a myriad of problems including the following: • high triglycerides (increased risk of heart and stroke) • high plasminogen activator inhibitor activity (PAI-Fx), causing increased risk of clotting • low HDL cholesterol (increased risk of heart attack and stroke) • high uric acid (gout) • polycystic ovary syndrome (endocrine disorder with oligo-amenor
