To know if you have insulin resistance, consider the following:
Symptoms and Signs
Insulin resistance often has no obvious symptoms early on, but some signs to watch for include:
- Low energy levels, fatigue, or excessive sleepiness especially after eating
- Increased hunger or feeling hungry shortly after meals
- Sugar and carbohydrate cravings
- Weight gain, particularly around the abdomen
- Skin changes such as skin tags or dark patches (acanthosis nigricans)
- Irritability, headaches, dizziness, or brain fog
- Increased thirst and frequent urination (more common once blood sugar rises)
- High blood pressure and abnormal cholesterol levels (high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol)
Medical Evaluation and Tests
There is no single test that definitively diagnoses insulin resistance, but doctors use a combination of:
- Medical history and risk factors (family history, obesity, age)
- Physical exam including waist measurement and blood pressure
- Blood tests such as:
- Fasting plasma glucose test (100-125 mg/dL suggests prediabetes)
- Oral glucose tolerance test (140-199 mg/dL after 2 hours suggests prediabetes)
- Hemoglobin A1c test (5.7%-6.4% indicates prediabetes)
- Lipid panel to check cholesterol and triglycerides
- Sometimes a fasting insulin test combined with glucose to calculate HOMA-IR ratio, which estimates insulin resistance
When to Get Tested
- Screening is recommended starting at age 35, or earlier if you have risk factors like excess weight or family history of diabetes.
- If you had gestational diabetes, testing every 3 years is advised.
- Children with overweight or obesity may also be tested starting at age 10 or puberty
Summary
If you notice symptoms like fatigue after eating, increased hunger, skin changes, or have risk factors such as obesity or family history, see a healthcare provider. They can order blood tests to check your blood sugar and insulin levels to determine if you have insulin resistance or prediabetes. Early detection allows for lifestyle changes that can prevent progression to type 2 diabetes
. If you want to confirm insulin resistance specifically, a fasting insulin and glucose test to calculate the HOMA-IR ratio can be done, though this is less commonly used in routine clinical practice
