The causes of insulin resistance are not fully understood, but excess weight and lack of physical activity are thought to be the main contributing factors.
To find out more, Jing Wu, from the Department of Endocrinology at Shandong Provincial Hospital in China, and colleagues analyzed data from the UK Biobank, which contains genetic, medical and lifestyle information provided by more than 500,000 people in the world. United Kingdom.
Blood sugar and fat levels, including cholesterol, were used to calculate each participant's TyG index, a measure of insulin resistance.
TyG index scores ranged from 5.87 to 12.46 units, with an average reading of 8.71 units.
Participants with a higher TyG score, and therefore a greater degree of insulin resistance, at the start of the study tended to be male, older, less active, smokers and living with obesity, the study published in the journal found. Diabetology.
By tracking participants' health for an average of 13 years, researchers were able to link insulin resistance to 31 diseases.
Insulin resistance was associated with a higher risk of developing 26 of these, including sleep disorders, bacterial infections and pancreatitis, and a higher degree of insulin resistance was associated with a higher likelihood of having the condition.
In women, each one-unit increase in insulin resistance was associated with an 11 percent increased risk of dying during the study period.
This demonstrated that insulin resistance is associated with all-cause mortality in women. No link was found for men.
Specifically, each one-unit increase in insulin resistance was associated with an 18 percent increased risk of sleep disorders, an 8 percent increased risk of bacterial infections, and a 31 percent increased risk of pancreatitis, the study found.
"We have shown that by assessing the degree of insulin resistance, it is possible to identify people who are at risk of developing obesity, hypertension, heart disease, gout, sciatica and some other diseases," Wu said.
To find out more, Jing Wu, from the Department of Endocrinology at Shandong Provincial Hospital in China, and colleagues analyzed data from the UK Biobank, which contains genetic, medical and lifestyle information provided by more than 500,000 people in the world. United Kingdom.
Blood sugar and fat levels, including cholesterol, were used to calculate each participant's TyG index, a measure of insulin resistance.
TyG index scores ranged from 5.87 to 12.46 units, with an average reading of 8.71 units.
Participants with a higher TyG score, and therefore a greater degree of insulin resistance, at the start of the study tended to be male, older, less active, smokers and living with obesity, the study published in the journal found. Diabetology.
By tracking participants' health for an average of 13 years, researchers were able to link insulin resistance to 31 diseases.
Insulin resistance was associated with a higher risk of developing 26 of these, including sleep disorders, bacterial infections and pancreatitis, and a higher degree of insulin resistance was associated with a higher likelihood of having the condition.
In women, each one-unit increase in insulin resistance was associated with an 11 percent increased risk of dying during the study period.
This demonstrated that insulin resistance is associated with all-cause mortality in women. No link was found for men.
Specifically, each one-unit increase in insulin resistance was associated with an 18 percent increased risk of sleep disorders, an 8 percent increased risk of bacterial infections, and a 31 percent increased risk of pancreatitis, the study found.
"We have shown that by assessing the degree of insulin resistance, it is possible to identify people who are at risk of developing obesity, hypertension, heart disease, gout, sciatica and some other diseases," Wu said.
