Data from a study of 28,000 women under 55 years of age, analyzed by researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Mayo Clinic, revealed that of some 50 risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD), insulin resistance was the most serious.
While LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein or “bad cholesterol”) was associated with a 40 percent increase in risk of CHD onset in women under 55, lipoprotein insulin resistance (LPIR) demonstrated a 600 percent increase.
And while some women who have not been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes may be unaware they have the beginnings of insulin resistance, there is good news. “Prevention is better than cure,” said Sagar Dugani, MD, a co-author of the study, “and many risk factors for heart disease are preventable.”
What can you do to help prevent insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease? It starts with learning how the body manages blood sugar and what you can do at home to improve health and longevity for yourself and your family.
