Dr. MJ Bazos MD, Patient Handout

Insulin Resistance Syndrome

What is insulin resistance syndrome?

Insulin is a kind of hormone. It helps your body use the sugar in the food you eat as fuel.

In some people, the tissues stop responding to insulin. Doctors refer to this condition as insulin resistance. If you have insulin resistance, your body will make more and more insulin, but because the tissues don't respond to it, your body won't be able to use sugar properly.

How to check your waist-to-hip ratio To find your waist-to-hip ratio, measure the smallest part of your waist with a tape measure. Don't hold in your stomach while you measure! Now measure the biggest part of your hips with a tape measure. Measure the part where your buttocks stick out the most. Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement. The answer is your waist-to-hip ratio. A ratio that is bigger than 1.0 (for men) or 0.8 (for women) shows that your abdomen is obese. Note: the word "obese" means very much overweight.

Insulin resistance often goes along with other health problems, such as diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart attack. When a person has many of these problems together, doctors call it insulin resistance syndrome.

How do I know I have insulin resistance syndrome?

No simple test can tell that you have insulin resistance syndrome. If one or more of the following is true for you, your doctor may suspect you have insulin resistance syndrome.

• One (or more) of your brothers, sisters or parents has been diagnosed with diabetes.
• You have a history of diabetes during pregnancy.
• You have a history of polycystic ovary syndrome.
• You have a blood sugar level that is not quite high enough to be diabetes, but it is higher than normal. It means you are at more risk of getting diabetes.
• You are overweight or obese. Use the chart to find out if you are overweight, or talk to your doctor.
• You have more fat around your waist than around your hips. See the box on the waist-to-hip ratio.

What can I do to improve my health?

A healthy lifestyle can help avoid the problems caused by insulin resistance syndrome:

• Keep yourself at a healthy weight. Your doctor will help you get to a healthy weight through diet and exercise. See the chart to find a healthy weight for your height.
• Get some kind of exercise. For example, walking just 30 minutes each day will help prevent the diseases of insulin resistance syndrome. Other kinds of exercise also help.
• Eat a lot of dietary fiber. Foods high in dietary fiber should be a regular part of your diet. You should eat several servings of fruits, vegetables and whole-grain bread every day.

Body Mass Index Chart BMI 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 Height in inches Body weight in pounds 58 91 96 100 105 110 115 119 124 129 134 138 143 148 153 158 162 167 59 94 99 104 109 114 119 124 128 133 138 143 148 153 158 163 168 173 60 97 102 107 112 118 123 128 133 138 143 148 153 158 163 168 174 179 61 100 106 111 116 122 127 132 137 143 148 153 158 164 169 174 180 185 62 104 109 115 120 126 131 136 142 147 153 158 164 169 175 180 186 191 63 107 113 118 124 130 135 141 146 152 158 163 169 175 180 186 191 197 64 110 116 122 128 134 140 145 151 157 163 169 174 180 186 192 197 204 65 114 120 126 132 138 144 150 156 162 168 174 180 186 192 198 204 210 66 118 124 130 136 142 148 155 161 167 173 179 186 192 198 204 210 216 67 121 127 134 140 146 153 159 166 172 178 185 191 198 204 211 217 223 68 125 131 138 144 151 158 164 171 177 184 190 197 203 210 216 223 230 69 128 135 142 149 155 162 169 176 182 189 196 203 209 216 223 230 236 70 132 139 146 153 160 167 174 181 188 195 202 209 216 222 229 236 243 71 136 143 150 157 165 172 179 186 193 200 208 215 222 229 236 243 250 72 140 147 154 162 169 177 184 191 199 206 213 221 228 235 242 250 258 73 144 151 159 166 174 182 189 197 204 212 219 227 235 242 250 257 265 74 148 155 163 171 179 186 194 202 210 218 225 233 241 249 256 264 272 75 152 160 168 176 184 192 200 208 216 224 232 240 248 256 264 272 279 76 156 164 172 180 189 197 205 213 221 230 238 246 254 263 271 279 287 BMI means body mass index. To find your BMI, find your height on the left column. Go across on that line until you find your weight. Now go up that column to the BMI number in the first row across the top. If your BMI number is 25 to 29, you are overweight. If your BMI number is 30 or higher, you are obese. Talk to your doctor about your BMI and how to achieve a healthy weight.