Can Insulin resistance predict age-related diseases in the future?

“Your time is limited. Don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” - Steve Jobs

Hello Zuncia Family,

Today’s post is about the role of insulin resistance and developing age related diseases such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke and cancer.

This research was published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism in 2001 by researchers from Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, California.

The research was started to evaluate the link between insulin resistance and development of age-related diseases later in life. The study was done in 208 (98 males and 110 females) healthy and non-obese individuals with characteristics: age above 30 years, body mass index (BMI) less than 30 kg/m² and no history of hypertension with blood pressure less than 145 /90 mm Hg, normal oral glucose tolerance test and normal physical examination and routine chemical chemistries.

After 4-11 years later, the subjects in the study were again evaluated (average 6.3 years). All subjects were asked about their current status of health; medication usage; whether or not they have developed cancer, diabetes, or high blood pressure. All positive reports were verified by examination of medical record with the help of the primary care physician in each instance, and included tissue evidence in the case of a diagnosis of cancer.

Results

The Study divided the group into 3 subgroups based on their measurement at baseline. SSPG: Steady State Plasma Glucose Concenteration

Subgroup 1 : less than 4.4 mmol/ L SSPG

Subgroup 2: 4.4 to 7.8 mmol/ L SSPG

Subgroup 3: more than 7.8 mmol/L SSPG

Check the graph in Figure 1.

Excerpts from paper

“Clinical endpoints (n = 40) were identified in 37 individuals of those evaluated, including 12 with HT, 9 with cancer, 7 with CHD, and 5 with type 2 diabetes, 3 of which also had high blood pressure, and 4 with stroke. The cancers were distributed as follows: 3 prostate, 2 gastric, 1 breast, 1 colon, 1 bladder, and 1 renal. There were six deaths reported: 2 cardiovascular, 3 cancer related, and 1 due to infection. Search through the State of California Death Registry was negative for those individuals lost to follow-up. It should be emphasized that the period of observation after baseline was 6.2± 0.2 yr, 6.3 ± 0.2 yr, and 6.5 ± 0.2 yr in tertile 1, 2, and 3, respectively.

The 208 subjects were divided into tertiles on the basis of their SSPG concentrations. The baseline clinical characteristics of the 3 groups are given in Table 1. Subjects in the highest SSPG tertile were older and had a higher BMI, diastolic blood pressure, plasma TG, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentrations. In addition, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentrations were lower, and these individuals were less physically active.”

Conclusion

The study found that an age-related disease developed in approximately 1 out of 3 healthy individuals who have high level of insulin resistance at baseline, followed for an average of 6 years.

And No disease / clinical event was seen in the most insulin sensitive group.

Here is the link to full research article discussed in this post.

Another review article published in Metabolism (2021) analyse the correlation between insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease by Cadiz vascular vessels stiffness.

There is an increase in insulin resistance, obesity along with cardiac disease (CVD) in the US and global level.

“Under physiological conditions insulin regulates glucose homeostasis by enhancing glucose disposal in insulin sensitive tissues while also regulating delivery of nutrients through its vasodilation actions on small feed arteries. Specifically, insulin-mediated production of nitric oxide (NO) from the vascular endothelium leads to increased blood flow enhancing disposal of glucose.

Typically, insulin resistance is considered as a decrease in sensitivity or responsiveness to the metabolic actions of insulin including insulin-mediated glucose disposal. However, a decreased sensitivity to the normal vascular actions of insulin, especially diminished nitric oxide production, plays an additional important role in the development of CVD in states of insulin resistance.

One mechanism by which insulin resistance and attendant hyperinsulinemia promote CVD is via increases in vascular stiffness. Although obesity and insulin resistance are known to be associated with substantial increases in the prevalence of vascular fibrosis and stiffness the mechanisms and mediators that underlie vascular stiffening in insulin resistant states are complex and have only recently begun to be addressed.

Current evidence supports the role of increased plasma levels of aldosterone and insulin and attendant reductions in bioavailable NO in the pathogenesis of impaired vascular relaxation and vascular stiffness in the CMS and obesity.”

There is so much research that is linking insulin resistance and these age-related diseases. So it is better to be INSULIN SENSITIVE to prevent these diseases and age well.

Here are some steps you can start

• Eat real whole food

• Cut refined carbohydrates and sugar

• Get adequate protein

• Don’t eat all the time

• Exercise and build muscles

• Don’t live sedentary lifestyle

• Go out in the sun and nature everyday

• Opt for normal body weight with high muscle mass and low body fat.

• Have healthy gut microbiome

• Optimise your sleep and circadian rhythm

• Balanced Hormones

• Reduce stress

• Live happy life

These are the basic things you can start today and be disciplined, at least 3 months, to see the positive results.

Today’s Mantra: I am Happy and Healthy.

With much love,

Sudesh

Founder, zuncia.com