Insulin resistance

Insulin resistance is a reduced response to insulin in tissues such as muscle, fat, and liver. The pancreas may compensate by producing more insulin, but this compensation can become inadequate.

Insulin receptor: A cell-surface receptor that binds insulin and initiates intracellular signaling. Resistance can arise when receptor signaling is weakened or fails to propagate.
Hyperinsulinemia: An abnormally high concentration of insulin in the blood. The pancreas may raise insulin output to compensate for resistant tissues.
Insulin tolerance test: A test that measures the fall in blood glucose after insulin is administered. It probes how strongly the body responds to a controlled insulin dose.
Visceral fat: Fat stored within the abdominal cavity around internal organs. Excess visceral fat is associated with signals and fatty acids that impair insulin action.
Insulin deficiency: A shortage of insulin secretion relative to the body's needs. Resistance means tissues respond poorly; deficiency means insulin supply is inadequate.
Insulin signaling pathway: The intracellular network through which insulin regulates metabolism and gene expression. Defects along this pathway can reduce cellular responses despite insulin binding.
Prediabetes: A state of blood glucose above normal but below the diagnostic threshold for diabetes. It can emerge when compensation no longer fully offsets insulin resistance.
Hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp: A research procedure that infuses insulin and glucose to maintain stable blood glucose while estimating insulin sensitivity. It is a reference method for quantifying whole-body insulin sensitivity.
Free fatty acids: Fatty acids circulating unbound to proteins or loosely bound to albumin in blood. Elevated levels can disrupt insulin signaling and alter glucose metabolism.
Type 1 diabetes: An autoimmune disease in which pancreatic beta cells are destroyed, causing severe insulin deficiency. Its defining problem is loss of insulin production, unlike resistance as reduced tissue response.

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