The insulin resistance paradox scientists are unravelling

For years, insulin resistance has carried a simple warning: trouble may be ahead. It happens when the body becomes less responsive to insulin, forcing it to produce more to keep blood sugar under control. The condition is commonly linked with type 2 diabetes and poorer health. But new research suggests the story may be more complicated.

A genetic study involving data from 458,784 people of European ancestry has found that one mild, lifelong form of insulin resistance may not carry the dangers usually associated with the condition. Surprisingly, people with this inherited change showed signs of better health.

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Researchers from the University of Exeter identified 524 people carrying rare changes in a gene that affects how the body responds to insulin. Their bodies needed to produce more insulin to manage blood sugar, suggesting a mild reduction in insulin response.

Yet the expected health problems did not follow. These people had lower levels of blood fats and “bad” cholesterol, higher levels of “good” cholesterol, healthier liver readings and a lower waist-to-hip ratio. Their body weight, however, was not notably different from that of other participants.

More strikingly, they were no more likely to develop diabetes, heart disease or cancer, or to die from any cause. Similar patterns appeared across three large groups studied by the researchers.

The findings challenge the idea that every form of insulin resistance affects the body in the same way. Instead, the way it develops may matter as its presence.

However, this is not a reason to dismiss insulin resistance found during routine healthcare, which remains closely linked with type 2 diabetes. The research is an early finding being presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes annual meeting and has not yet been published as a full scientific paper.

Researchers now hope to discover why this rare inherited form appears different and whether understanding it could eventually reveal new ways to protect health.