Insulin resistance is one of the earliest signs of declining metabolic health and is becoming increasingly common. It occurs when your body's cells become less responsive to insulin, meaning your pancreas has to produce more insulin to keep your blood sugar levels within a healthy range.

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Over time, chronically elevated insulin levels can contribute to weight gain, make weight loss more difficult, and increase the risk of developing a range of chronic health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and some cancers.

​How Do I Know If I Have Insulin Resistance?
Unfortunately, insulin resistance often goes undiagnosed until it has progressed. Many doctors won’t flag it unless you already have high blood sugar or another related condition.
However, there are some early signs that may indicate insulin resistance:

• Increased abdominal fat

• Frequent fatigue, especially after meals

• Cravings for carbohydrates and sugar

• Dark, velvety patches of skin (acanthosis nigricans), especially around the neck or armpits

• Difficulty losing weight despite effort

• Skin tags

• Low HDL cholesterol

• High triglycerides 

• High blood pressure 

If any of these sound familiar, it’s worth getting tested.
 
What Blood Tests Should I Ask For?
To assess for insulin resistance, ask your GP for the following:

• Fasting glucose

• Fasting insulin

Note: Fasting insulin is not routinely tested, so you may need to request it specifically.

 

Calculating Insulin Resistance Using Fasting Insulin Test
A result of above 5-8 mU/L would class you as being insulin resistant.

Unfortunately, this often goes undetected by doctors as the reference range for insulin resistance can be as high as 25 mU/L.

 

Calculating Insulin Resistance using HOMA-IR
Another way to calculate insulin resistance is with the HOMA-IR calculation:
HOMA-IR = (Fasting Insulin [mU/L] × Fasting Glucose [mmol/L]) ÷ 22.5
 

• Under 1.0 = optimal

• Between 1.0 and 2.0 = mild insulin resistance

• Over 2.0–2.5 = moderate to significant insulin resistance

These numbers do not provide a formal diagnosis of insulin resistance, but can offer a helpful indication of how your body is responding to insulin.

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For example: If your fasting insulin = 15 mU/L and your fasting glucose = 5.2 mmol/L

HOMA-IR = (15 × 5.2) ÷ 22.5 = 3.47 (severe insulin resistance)