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A key development in the treatment of diabetes has been an improved understanding by the medical community of one of its major underlying causes: insulin resistance, also called metabolic syndrome. This increased understanding of insulin resistance has resulted in more appropriate medical treatment options.

Insulin resistance occurs when the body fails to respond properly to the insulin it already produces. It is an underlying cluster of symptoms that often precedes the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. Many people at risk for diabetes do not know what insulin resistance is or even realize that they have signs of diabetes development.

A family history of diabetes, being overweight or obese, and physical inactivity increase your chances of developing insulin resistance. Certain ethnic groups, such as Latinos, Blacks, and Native Americans, are twice as likely as Caucasians to develop insulin resistance and diabetes. Insulin resistance is associated with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

Unfortunately, there’s no simple test for insulin resistance. It’s usually marked by a cluster of characteristics. The presence of three or more characteristics can result in a diagnosis of insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome. The characteristics of insulin resistance syndrome are as follows:

 Abdominal obesity (a waist measuring more than 35 inches in women or more than 40 inches in men)

 Fasting glucose level of 110 mg/dl or greater

 Triglycerides of 150 mg/dl or greater

 HDL cholesterol less than 50 mg/dl in women or less than 40 mg/dl in men

 Blood pressure of 130/85 or greater