Insulin resistance is linked to 31 diseases and a higher risk of premature death in women

Insulin resistance is linked to 31 different diseases and is also associated with a higher risk of early death in women, according to a study of data from hundreds of thousands of people in the UK presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Madrid, Spain (9-13 September).

The conference will hear that there is compelling evidence of a link between insulin resistance and diseases as diverse as Parkinson's, gout and sciatica.

Insulin resistance, i.e. the body's cells do not respond properly to insulin and cannot easily absorb glucose from the blood, is a key feature of type 2 diabetes. The causes of insulin resistance are not yet fully understood, but it is assumed that obesity and lack of exercise are the main factors.

Insulin resistance is also a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but less is known about its wider health effects.

To learn more, Ms. Jing Wu, of the Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong Uni, Jinan, China, and colleagues analyzed data from the UK Biobank, which contains genetic, medical and lifestyle information on more than 500,000 people in the UK.

The study included 429,159 participants (231,033 women and 198,126 men) between the ages of 40 and 69.

Based on blood sugar and fat levels, including cholesterol, each participant's TyG index – a measure of insulin resistance – was calculated.

The TyG index values ​​ranged from 5.87 to 12.46 units, with an average value of 8.71 units.

Participants with higher TyG levels and thus a higher degree of insulin resistance at baseline tended to be men, older, less active, smokers and overweight.

By monitoring the health of the participants over an average period of 13 years, the researchers were able to link insulin resistance to 31 diseases.

Insulin resistance was associated with a higher risk of developing 26 of these diseases, including sleep disorders, bacterial infections and pancreatitis, with higher levels of insulin resistance associated with a higher likelihood of the disease.

Specifically, each one-unit increase in insulin resistance was associated with an 18 percent higher risk of sleep disorders, an 8 percent higher risk of bacterial infections, and a 31 percent higher risk of pancreatitis.

Insulin resistance was also associated with a lower risk of five diseases, including anemia (6% risk reduction), Parkinson's disease (-16%), and osteoporosis (-13%). (All disease risk percentages refer to the risk change associated with a one-unit increase in insulin resistance.)

The association was particularly strong between insulin resistance and diabetes (+166% or 2.66 times higher risk), gout and dyslipidemia (unhealthy blood lipid levels, +61%) and related diseases.

Some of the associations, such as between insulin resistance and a higher risk of developing obesity (7% higher risk), hypertension (+21%) and ischemic heart disease (+24%), had already been documented previously.

Other connections, such as between insulin resistance and gout, Parkinson's disease and sciatica, were new to science.

We found that each one-unit increase in insulin resistance increased the risk of gout by 65%, but reduced the risk of Parkinson's disease by 16%. In addition, each one-unit increase in insulin resistance was associated with a 10% higher likelihood of sciatica.”

Ms. Jing Wu, Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong Uni, Jinan, China

The researchers then examined the relationship between insulin resistance and overall mortality – death from any cause. In this analysis, they looked at men and women separately.

This showed that insulin resistance is associated with overall mortality in women. No association was found in men.

In women, each one unit increase in insulin resistance was associated with an 11% higher risk of death during the study period.

An analysis of data from existing studies containing information on insulin resistance and health confirmed the results.

Ms Wu says: “We have shown that by assessing the level of insulin resistance, it is possible to identify people at risk for obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, gout, sciatica and some other diseases.”

“This lays the foundation for early intervention measures to reduce the risk of disease and also offers new ideas for disease prevention and treatment.”

“Raising public awareness of these modifiable factors is important as it enables individuals to take proactive steps toward better metabolic health.

“While we did not look for ways to improve insulin resistance, previous research has shown that lifestyle changes, such as regular exercise and a balanced diet low in added sugar and refined carbohydrates, can help reduce the risk of insulin resistance.”