How do they test to see if you're insulin resistant? What is the difference between IR and PCOS?
Posted on May 20, 2009 under insulin resistance symptoms | 3 CommentsI took some blood tests that my endocrinologist ordered me to, but im not actually sure what tests she took and her diagnosis seemed a little shakey. Ive been having hormone problems and she said that since one of my female hormones was normal that I dont qualify for having pcos, therefore I was probably insulin resistant. I always thought that I had pcos due to the lack of periods and other classic symptoms, but since pcos is caused by insulin resistance, does it even matter which one im diagnosed with? The only thing my endo told me to do was to take 1000mg of metformin and stop eating starchy foods. Ive been taking the metformin for about 6 months now and have lost 10 lbs. Im still confused about how many carbs to eat and what not, and im also confused as to whether or not im actually diabetic. the endo didnt seem to be too concerned, so maybe its not that serious yet. can someone clear up my confusion
There's very little difference between insulin resistance and PCOS. They are both caused by poor diet and insufficient exercise. The test that's usually given for insulin resistance is an oral glucose tolerance test. Stopping starchy foods is only part of the equation. Increasing high nutrient, natural foods is the answer. Add in some moderate daily exercise like a 30 to 60 minute walk, and your all set.
Search "metabolic syndrome" or "syndrome x" for more details. Or check out my profile where there are lots of healthy links.
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May 20th, 2009 at 6:51 pm
There's very little difference between insulin resistance and PCOS. They are both caused by poor diet and insufficient exercise. The test that's usually given for insulin resistance is an oral glucose tolerance test. Stopping starchy foods is only part of the equation. Increasing high nutrient, natural foods is the answer. Add in some moderate daily exercise like a 30 to 60 minute walk, and your all set.
Search "metabolic syndrome" or "syndrome x" for more details. Or check out my profile where there are lots of healthy links.
References :
http://www.drfuhrman.com/
May 20th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
These are all very good questions.
Let's start with insulin resistance. Insulin resistance means that your body doesn't properly absorb the insulin that your pancreas makes. In order to maintain normal blood sugar, your pancreas overworks itself, producing higher and higher levels of insulin over time in an attempt to do this. That's why some people with insulin resistance don't also have high blood sugar (diabetes). Being overweight or obese contributes to insulin resistance. Sometimes an individual can lose enough weight and become less insulin resistant, thereby lowering his or her chance of developing diabetes down the road. Eventually, the pancreas can become insulin deficient, and that results in soaring blood sugar.
In women with PCOS, high insulin levels (due to insulin resistance) can cause the ovaries to overproduce testosterone (male hormone). The male hormones seem to bring on the symptoms of PCOS. Not every woman with PCOS is also insulin resistant, but they're very common together.
Doctors use the c-peptide test to determine your serum insulin levels. Normal, non-diabetic people fall within a certain range, but Type 2 diabetics and the insulin resistant have higher-than-average levels because of the pancreas' overproduction of insulin. Diabetes and insulin resistance can be differentiated, medically speaking, by a blood sugar test and an HbA1c – a test that provides a three month average of one's blood sugar.
Since your doctor did not diagnose you as prediabetic or diabetic, I can only assume that these two tests came back normal. You should ask, though. Perhaps you weren't given an HbA1c. Your c-peptide must have been high, prompting your doctor to label you insulin resistant and put you on Metformin as a preventive measure.
Even though you don't seem to be diabetic, you should take this diagnosis as seriously as you would if you were diabetic. Why? Because you're a hop, skip, and a jump away from diabetes now that you're insulin resistant. Lose all the weight you can and avoid foods high in carbohydrates, like pasta, beans, oats, rice, and bread. If you do have to eat these foods, limit your portions. If you were diabetic, I would tell you to buy a glucose meter and test your blood sugar after every meal to determine how many carbohydrates per day your body can tolerate. I don't know how much that would help you, as your blood sugar is likely normal. For now, aim for <30-35 grams of carbohydrates per meal, no more than 100 grams per day. Of these carbohydrates you eat, make most of them come from low-glycemic sources, like nuts, seeds, flax, good veggies, etc.
High levels of insulin in the body can be dangerous. (Higher risk of heart disease, for example.) Low-carbohydrate foods won't signal your pancreas to make a lot of insulin, and that's good for you. You don't want to strain your pancreas in this way. Some scientists believe that high-carbohydrate eating in the insulin resistant "wears out" the pancreas, as the pancreas works harder and harder just to keep blood sugar normal, and the result is an overworked, insulin *deficient* pancreas. I'm not sure about that, but I thought I would let you know.
Go on for an A1c once or twice a year. If you're interested in blood sugar, buy a meter to test at home. You'll know before your doctor if your blood sugar is going into prediabetic or diabetic range. Sometimes it's better to be armed with information.
Best of luck and congratulations on the 10 lbs.!
References :
May 20th, 2009 at 8:05 pm
Our family has suffered with IR/PCOS for generations.
A lab tech told me MANY years ago (B4 IR had a name like PCOS) that he couldn't say exactly What my problem was, but he suggested that every time I get a sugar craving that I should eat a protein instead. My daughters have had a hard time getting pg & with their pregnancies due 2 this condition.
We have found that the Diabetic Diet (similarly a hi protein, but low meat diet) has eased the related problems that are often diagnosed as Conditions (instead of SYMPTOMS).
By following this diet regime, they in turn lost weight, which helped balance their hormones in a natural way (so they could get pregnant WITHOUT using artificial hormone replacements), AND they said that they FELT better than EVER!
I hope this helps.
References :