Insulin resistance may develop years before diabetes, experts warn

A rehabilitation physician in Taiwan cautions that normal blood‑sugar readings do not guarantee health. He explains that excess waist circumference and overweight status force the pancreas to work harder, producing more insulin to keep glucose levels normal. Over time this “over‑working” can exhaust beta cells, leading to a sudden rise in blood sugar and a diabetes diagnosis. He urges people to reduce waist size, maintain regular exercise and adjust diet to lessen the pancreas’s load.

Medical researchers in the United States note that insulin resistance can appear a decade before diabetes is clinically diagnosed. Standard glucose tests may miss the condition because the body compensates by secreting extra insulin. Early warning signs include darkened skin patches (acanthosis nigricans), persistent hunger, fatigue, brain fog, and abdominal fat. Measuring insulin alone is unreliable; a combination of markers such as triglycerides, cholesterol levels and lifestyle factors provides a clearer picture. Early lifestyle interventions—targeted nutrition, activity and weight management—can prevent progression to diabetes.