Frequently Asked Questions About Insulin Resistance and Pre-Diabetes

List of all Pre-Diabetes FAQs

How is insulin resistance diagnosed?

Insulin resistance is diagnosed when a lab test shows that the normal action of insulin (to facilitate carbohydrate metabolism) in the body is compromised.

A simpler explanation is this: When a person is insulin resistant their cells do not respond to a normal amount& of insulin.

Abnormally high levels of insulin are needed to move blood glucose (blood sugar) out of the blood stream and into cells and tissue.

A person who has insulin resistance has lost their normal sensitivity to insulin.

Signs and Symptoms of Insulin Resistance

Having Normal Blood Sugar Does Not Mean You Are Not Insulin Resistance

A person with insulin resistance may or may not have normal blood sugar levels, but they will always have higher than normal insulin levels in response to an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).

To check for insulin resistance your doctor needs to check your circulating insulin and blood glucose from the same blood draw during a fasting glucose test or an oral glucose tolerance test. Read, "Can you be insulin resistant and still have normal blood sugars?"

A finger stick can be used to check blood sugar (blood glucose) but it can not detect whether or not your insulin levels are too high.

Read, "Who should be tested for pre-diabetes and what tests are used to diagnose pre-diabetes."

What tests can tell me if I am insulin resistant?

A routine finger stick in your doctor's office can only tell you what your blood sugar is - it cannot tell you what your insulin levels are. Unless your doctor specifically asks a lab to test your insulin levels (when they test your blood sugar levels), an oral glucose tolerance test cannot rule out insulin resistance. Have your doctor check:

• Fasting insulin levels; and
• Insulin levels at the 2-hour mark of an oral glucose tolerance test.

It is important to have both blood sugar and insulin levels checked at the same time because many doctors believe that insulin levels alone are not enough to diagnose (or rule out) insulin resistance. Some doctors simply look at insulin levels but most will compare the ratio of insulin to blood sugar level

About Insulin

Insulin is a hormone made in the pancreas that acts as a key to open cells so that they will allow glucose (blood sugar) from the blood stream to enter in.

Without insulin, glucose cannot get into cells. Blood glucose can quickly build to dangerous levels resulting in diabetes complications or even death.

People who are insulin resistant do not respond to a normal secretion of insulin. Cells do not open so the body responds by producing even more insulin. Almost all people with insulin resistance will over produce insulin. Read more about insulin.