If you're overweight, have high blood pressure and high blood fat levels, you may have insulin resistance syndrome, an increasingly common condition that can lead to both heart disease and diabetes.
Recent studies show that insulin resistance syndrome affects as many as one in three Americans, a 60 percent increase over the last decade, according to the November issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource.
Insulin resistance means that body tissues that need insulin become less sensitive to its effects. Insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas, is needed to allow glucose to enter cells. Glucose is used by cells to fuel body processes. So, your body churns out more and more insulin into your blood in an effort to help glucose get into your cells. This works for a while, but eventually causes serious health problems.
Doctors diagnose insulin resistance by evaluating triglyceride levels, blood pressure, fasting blood sugar levels, HDL "good" cholesterol levels and waist size. Treatments include exercising daily, losing weight, increasing dietary fiber and stopping smoking.
Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource is published monthly to help women enjoy healthier, more productive lives. Revenue from subscriptions is used to support medical research at Mayo Clinic. To subscribe, please call 800-876-8633, extension 9PK1.
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