Insulin resistance PCOS: Why does it occur and what can you do to improve your health?

Insulin resistance is a condition in which cells in your body stop responding to insulin hormones as they are supposed to. In a nutshell, cells stop using glucose for energy, which causes it to build up in your blood. This can potentially lead to type 2 diabetes and other health problems.

Insulin resistance PCOS is a common issue affecting roughly 65-70% of females with this diagnosis. PCOS can cause increased insulin levels, which eventually result in insulin resistance. The key signs that can help you notice it include:

• Increased hunger and food intake
• Unusual fatigue
• Skin darkening
• Uncontrolled weight gain

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common medical condition found in women of reproductive age. This condition affects the ovaries, making them develop a large number of fluid-filled cysts that hinder menstrual cycle and ovulation. Apart from affecting reproductive health, PCOS also affects a number of hormones in your body, creating inner imbalance and causing a range of symptoms, one of which is insulin resistance. In this article, we’ll guide you through the matter of insulin resistance PCOS to help you understand it and find ways to manage it.

{{button))

How Does PCOS Affect Female Hormones?

By hindering the normal work of your ovaries, PCOS typically affects a number of hormones in your body, including:

• Estrogen
• Androgens
• Luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone (LH/FSH)
• Growth hormones (GH)
• Ghrelin
• LEAP-2
• Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)
• Insulin

Fluctuations in these hormones can lead to a range of symptoms, including irregular menstrual cycle, acne, oily skin, hair thinning, hair loss, and many others–the symptoms that are commonly found in women with this condition.

What Is Insulin Resistance PCOS?

Insulin resistance (IR) is a complex condition in which your body stops responding adequately to insulin–a hormone made in your pancreas that’s responsible for regulating your blood glucose (sugar) levels.

One of the core functions of insulin is to move glucose from the blood into your cells, where it’s used for energy. When your cells stop responding to insulin correctly, they can’t use blood sugar to fuel your body with energy. As a result, blood sugar doesn’t get used and builds up, leading to hyperinsulinemia–high blood sugar.

Why Do PCOS Women Develop Insulin Resistance?

The link between PCOS and insulin resistance lies in the inappropriate levels of the insulin hormone. PCOS makes your body produce more insulin than normal. Over time, increased levels of this hormone lead to abnormal insulin signaling, which makes your cells stop responding to insulin.

This begins a vicious cycle–cells don’t respond to insulin as they are supposed to, which leads to even higher levels of the produced hormone, and it continues over and over again. Eventually, your body develops insulin resistance.

To help you understand the scale of the problem–approximately 65-70% of women with PCOS develop insulin resistance and compensatory hyperinsulinemia.

Key Signs of Insulin Resistance PCOS

Insulin resistance requires early recognition and adequate treatment to prevent significant health problems. Here are the primary signs to watch out for to detect IR:

• Increased hunger and food intake. Increasing insulin levels can change your normal hunger patterns and significantly increase your daily food intake, your stomach may simply feel empty, even after you eat.
• Unusual tiredness. When your body can’t use glucose as an energy source as it’s supposed to do, it will typically result in an increased feeling of fatigue, especially after meals.
• Skin darkening. Excessive insulin can overstimulate your cells, causing them to reproduce at a rapid pace and overgrow. Overgrown cells may have more melanin, which can result in notably darker skin patches.‍
• Uncontrolled weight gain. Lastly, if you are developing insulin resistance, you can notice significant weight gain and enhanced fat storage, especially in your belly area. This happens because insulin resistance hinders your metabolic function–it changes how your body uses and stores glucose and fat.

Apart from these major symptoms, you may also have other, less-notable signs of insulin resistance PCOS like increased thirst and more frequent peeing. Sometimes, blurred vision and yeast infections can also signal IR.

The worst thing about this is that most of the insulin resistance symptoms may be mild and barely noticeable until this condition develops into type 2 diabetes. That’s why it’s pivotal to detect and treat insulin resistance as early as possible.

PCOS and Diabetes

When it remains unmanaged, insulin resistance and obesity caused by it can result in a variety of serious health issues. The first and the primary one is type 2 diabetes. This is a serious medical condition that implies that your body cannot use insulin correctly and thus, your blood sugar builds up. Once it develops, type 2 diabetes can create significant complications in multiple organ systems, such as your kidneys, heart, nerves, eyes, and many others.

Experts state that over half of females with PCOS get type 2 diabetes by age 40. And all of it is because of untreated insulin resistance.

Other Long-Term Risks Associated With Insulin Resistance PCOS

Apart from type 2 diabetes, untreated insulin resistance in PCOS females can develop into a number of other health problems, including:

• Gestational diabetes (if you get pregnant);
• High blood pressure;
• Heart disease;
• High LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and low HDL (“good”) cholesterol, which also increase the risk for heart disease;
• Sleep apnea (a medical condition in which you can stop breathing during sleep);
• Stroke.

Added to a chronic condition like PCOS, any of these health issues can significantly worsen your overall health. That’s why monitoring and treating insulin resistance is important, especially in women with PCOS who have a higher risk of developing this problem.

PCOS and Insulin Resistance: Practical Tips to Prevent and Manage IR

As you already know, PCOS is a condition that can significantly increase the risk of developing insulin resistance, which eventually can lead to a huge number of serious health problems. Here are some simple tips to help you prevent and address this issue adequately:

• Implement dietary adjustments - While your insulin levels may be higher than normal due to PCOS, some foods can cause this hormone to rise further, developing or worsening insulin resistance. To prevent this, you need to become more thoughtful of what you eat. Implement a balanced diet that supplies your body with protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Focus on low-glycemic index foods and avoid foods that cause insulin spikes, such as sugar, refined carbs, and processed foods.‍
• Increase your daily activity - Apart from following a well-balanced diet, you need to ensure that you have regular physical activity. According to the American Diabetes Association, exercise can lower your blood glucose levels for up to 24 hours or more. That is, physical activity is an effective way to manage insulin resistance.‍
• Focus on weight loss - While insulin resistance can cause weight gain, dropping some pounds can have a reverse effect, lowering your glucose levels and improving insulin sensitivity. So try to create a caloric deficit and exercise regularly to lose weight and improve your health.
• ‍Find ways to manage stress - Ongoing stress is a massive risk factor for insulin resistance. When you are stressed, your circulating cortisol levels increase, potentially disrupting glucose metabolism and stimulating IR. To address the issue, implement stress management techniques like journaling, meditation, yoga, and others.

FAQ

Does PCOS cause insulin resistance?

Yes. PCOS affects your ovarian function and thus, can fluctuate different hormones in your body, including insulin. This condition causes your pancreas to produce increased levels of insulin. As a result, abnormal insulin signaling can make your cells stop responding to this hormone appropriately, which leads to the development of insulin resistance.

What is insulin resistance PCOS?

In a nutshell, it’s a condition when your cells stop using insulin to fuel your body with energy, which results in blood sugar building up. If untreated, insulin resistance can lead to a variety of more serious health problems, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, sleep apnea, stroke, and others.

How many women with PCOS have insulin resistance?

This condition is incredibly common among women with PCOS because their bodies typically start producing more insulin, which increases the risk of IR. According to studies, around 65-70% of females with PCOS develop insulin resistance and compensatory hyperinsulinemia.

Can PCOS cause diabetes?

Yes, although not directly. By affecting your insulin levels and leading to insulin resistance, PCOS can indeed cause type 2 diabetes or gestational diabetes. This can happen if you keep your insulin resistance untreated for some time, causing sugar to build up in your blood.

Conclusion

Insulin resistance PCOS is neither new nor rare. According to different figures, this condition affects the biggest part of females who have PCOS, worsening their symptoms and leading to a variety of additional health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and many others.

After reading this guide, you should have a better understanding of the link between PCOS and insulin resistance. Use the tips we shared here to recognize insulin resistance early on and address it by implementing the right dietary and lifestyle changes.

{{pink-banner}}