“He was so young and healthy, I can’t believe that happened to him”
You might know someone who has unexpectedly passed from an unforeseen health issue. And while we don’t always have control or an ability to see it coming, sometimes, there are underlying risk factors if we know where to look. I mentioned in Part 1 of this series how fasting glucose levels are a lagging indicator. For diagnosing insulin resistance, we want to catch things before they become a problem. That’s what this email is about. The most important marker of health that you’ve probably never heard of.
HOMA-IR What is it?
HOMA-IR stands for homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance. It’s a formula to calculate your levels of insulin resistance or insulin sensitivity. In simple terms, it’s a measure of your health that looks far beyond just your body fat percentage, physical appearance, or components of physical fitness. It’s based on how your body responds to the hormone insulin in order to efficiently utilize blood glucose.
Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas. It helps regulate the sugar level in the blood and is secreted when the blood sugar rises after a meal. It works like a key to open doors (receptors) in the cell membranes. This allows glucose to move into fat, skeletal muscle, and liver cells. Insulin is necessary to get energy into your cell and to lower blood glucose levels.
If you are healthy, your body is considered “insulin sensitive” which means you respond well to low levels of insulin to keep your blood sugar properly managed.
If you are “insulin resistant” your body either: 1) Requires more insulin to properly control blood sugar (early insulin resistance/Hyperinsulinemia)
2) Is unable to properly control blood sugar despite higher insulin (Prediabetes/diabetes)
3) Stops producing insulin because of prolonged insulin resistance (advanced diabetes)
How do we calculate HOMA-IR?
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