Whats new in insulin resistance?
It is only in recent years that insulin resistance has been gaining importance its own right, and as a contributor to the metabolic syndrome. It now appears that intervention can delay the onset of overt diabetes. Future studies will need to be longer than the studies already done to determine for how long treatment can prevent the development of diabetes and its complications. Lifestyle changes (for example, diet, exercise) clearly are important in delaying the development of diabetes in individuals with insulin resistance, and education about these changes needs to be directed to groups at risk for diabetes. Childhood obesity is on the rise in the United States as well as other countries, and changes need to be made in school cafeterias and in the food choices offered to children and teens at home. The value of diet and exercise in combination with medication needs to be evaluated to determine if the combination is better than diet and exercise alone.
