<Tr> <Th> MeSH </Th> <Td> C18. 452.394. 968.500 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> (edit on Wikidata) </Td> </Tr> <P> Insulin resistance (IR) is a pathological condition in which cells fail to respond normally to the hormone insulin . The body produces insulin when glucose starts to be released into the bloodstream from the digestion of carbohydrates in the diet . Normally this insulin response triggers glucose being taken into body cells, to be used for energy, and inhibits the body from using fat for energy . The concentration of glucose in the blood decreases as a result, staying within the normal range even when a large amount of carbohydrates is consumed . When the body produces insulin under conditions of insulin resistance, the cells are resistant to the insulin and are unable to use it as effectively, leading to high blood sugar . Beta cells in the pancreas subsequently increase their production of insulin, further contributing to a high blood insulin level . This often remains undetected and can contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes or latent autoimmune diabetes of adults . Although this type of chronic insulin resistance is harmful, during acute illness it is actually a well - evolved protective mechanism . Recent investigations have revealed that insulin resistance helps to conserve the brain's glucose supply by preventing muscles from taking up excessive glucose . In theory, insulin resistance should even be strengthened under harsh metabolic conditions such as pregnancy, during which the expanding fetal brain demands more glucose . </P> <P> People who develop type 2 diabetes usually pass through earlier stages of insulin resistance and prediabetes, although those often go undiagnosed . Insulin resistance is a syndrome (a set of signs and symptoms) resulting from reduced insulin activity; it is also part of a larger constellation of symptoms called the metabolic syndrome . </P>

What dies it mean to be insulin resistant