What are the symptoms of insulin resistance in diabetes?

There are no specific symptoms which will suggest that you have insulin resistance. Some people with insulin resistance can have pre-diabetes. Pre-diabetes is a condition in which you have glucose intolerance ---that is your blood sugar levels are high even though your body is still producing insulin. However the insulin produced in not enough to keep the blood glucose level in the normal range. In both these conditions you may not have any symptoms for years.

Some people with a severe insulin resistance can develop dark patches on the skin called acanthosis nigricans. These patches are usually present on the back of the neck. The patches can develop on elbows, knees, knuckles, and armpits as well. There is no test that is done clinically or in the doctor’s office to diagnose insulin resistance. For research purpose insulin resistance is evaluated by measuring the level of insulin in your blood.

Treatment for insulin resistance

There is no specific treatment for insulin resistance. Some drugs are being investigated for treatment of insulin resistance but still no drug is approved for treatment of this condition or to prevent type 2 diabetes.

Some measures which can improve insulin resistance include;

• Regular physical activity
• Weight loss
• Eating healthy diet

Dr Poonam Sachdeva, our in-house medical expert talks about the why what and how in diabetes.

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