Insulin resistance (IR) is a condition characterized by the body’s cells becoming unresponsive to the effect of insulin (a hormone that helps move glucose from the blood into the cells for energy). This can lead to high blood glucose (known as hyperglycemia) and typically results in higher insulin secretion by the pancreas and higher-than-normal levels of insulin in the blood (hyperinsulinemia).
You may already know that insulin resistance is a hallmark of prediabetes (a condition in which blood glucose levels are high but not high enough to be considered diabetes). It is estimated that more than 88 million American adults—one in three—have this condition. And more than 80% of them don’t know they have it. It is generally associated with a number of factors, including a lack of physical activity, an unhealthy diet, smoking, overweight or obesity with excess fat around the abdomen, and a family history of type 2 or gestational diabetes.
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