Insulin resistance

See: Article on insulin, if necessary, to better understand present article.

--- As described in the 2013 Medical Subject Headings of the National Library of Medicine, insulin resistance consists of

Diminished effectiveness of insulin in lowering blood sugar levels: requiring the use of 200 units or more of insulin per day to prevent hyperglycemia or ketosis.

It can be caused by the presence of insulin antibodies or the abnormalities in insulin receptors (receptor, insulin) on target cell surfaces. It is often associated with obesity; diabetic ketoacidosis; infection; and certain rare conditions.

Insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) can be measured by:

${\text{HOMA-IR}}={\frac {{\text{fasting plasma glucose}}*{\text{fasting insulin}}}{22.5}}$