Insulin resistance is associated with higher risk of developing 26 conditions and lower risk of five, in either sex. In women, it is also linked to higher odds of an early death, according to a study by Chinese researchers that used data from over 400,000 people in the UK Biobank.
The study is being presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Madrid this week. The research was conducted by Jing Wu of Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, and colleagues.
“We have shown that by assessing the degree of insulin resistance, it is possible identify individuals who are at risk of developing obesity, hypertension, heart disease, gout, sciatica and some other diseases,” Wu said.
Insulin resistance is when the body’s cells don’t respond properly to insulin and can’t easily take up glucose from blood. Excess weight and lack of physical activity are believed to be the main contributing factors this condition. Is a key feature of type 2 diabetes, and is known to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, less is known about its wider impact on health.
The Chinese team analyzed data from the UK Biobank, which holds genetic, medical, and lifestyle information from more than 500,000 U.K. residents. Their study involved 429,159 participants (231,033 women and 198,126 men) aged between 40 and 69 years.
Levels of blood sugar and fats, including cholesterol, were used to calculate each participant’s TyG index—a measure of insulin resistance. The TyG index scores ranged from 5.87 to 12.46 units, with an average reading of 8.71 units. By tracking the participants’ health for a median of 13 years, the researchers were able to link insulin resistance with 31 diseases. Some of the associations, such as those between insulin resistance and a higher risk of developing obesity (+7%), hypertension (+21%), and ischemic heart disease (+24%), had been documented before.
But insulin resistance was also associated with a higher risk of sleep disorders, bacterial infections, and pancreatitis:A higher degree of insulin resistance was associated with a higher likelihood of the condition, e.g. every one-unit increase in insulin resistance was associated with an 18% higher risk of sleep disorders, an 8% higher risk of bacterial infections, and a 31% higher risk of pancreatitis.
Insulin resistance was also linked to a lower risk of five diseases, including anemia (6% decrease in risk), Parkinson’s disease (-16%) and osteoporosis (-13%).
Associations found between insulin resistance and gout, Parkinson’s disease, and sciatica, were new to science. The relationship between insulin resistance and diabetes (+166% ), gout, and dyslipidaemia (+61%) and related disorders was particularly strong.
The researchers also looked at the association between insulin resistance and all-cause mortality, considering males and females separately. They found insulin resistance was associated with all-cause mortality in females, with every one-unit increase in insulin resistance associated with an 11% higher risk of dying during the study period. No link was found for males.
“While we didn’t look at ways of improving insulin resistance, previous research has shown that lifestyle modifications, such as regular exercise and following a balanced diet low in added sugars and refined carbohydrates, can help reduce the risk of insulin resistance,” Wu said.
