Insulin resistence

I have been doing some googling on this and found this article that supports by doctor:

http://www.drmirkin.com/nutrition/N117.htm

 

Fred, you have never had a patient with polycystic ovary syndrome, i'd imagine.


--------------

Thelt, to attempt to answer your question:

Insulin resistance can be thought of as "pre-diabetes." I agree that diabetes is confusing as shit, mainly because theres two types and they are very different.

Type I diabetes is formerly known as Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Why is it called that? Well, the underlying disorder in Type I is a lack of insulin making ability by the pancreas. Therefore treatment with insulin helps this disorder. Type I is more of a hereditary condition and is sometimes known as childhood onset diabetes.

Type II is formerly known as non-insulin dependent DM. Insulin is secreted by our pancreas in response to high blood sugar levels. Simply put, in type II DM, your pancreas simply gets "worn out" from responding to higher blood sugar levels for an extended period of time. Ways to measure for diabetes include things like fasting glucose, oral glucose tolerance tests, etc. So the fact that your glucoses were normal are probably a good thing.

A quick 15 second lit search found at least 4 articles studying using drugs like metformin in people (althought most of the articles pertained to the pediatric population) with normal blood glucoses to see if weight loss would occur.



Metformin reduces weight, centripetal obesity, insulin, leptin, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in nondiabetic, morbidly obese subjects with body mass index greater than 30.
Metabolism, Volume 50, Issue 7, Pages 856-861 C. Glueck


This one was particularly interesting. The article proposes that metformin may delay the onset of DM.

Reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metformin.

Knowler WC, Barrett-Connor E, Fowler SE, Hamman RF, Lachin JM, Walker EA, et al.

N Engl J Med 2002; 346:393-403. [AN: 21822558 - PMID: 11832527]

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes affects approximately 8 percent of adults in the United States. Some risk factors--elevated plasma glucose concentrations in the fasting state and after an oral glucose load, overweight, and a sedentary lifestyle--are potentially reversible. We hypothesized that modifying these factors with a lifestyle-intervention program or the administration of metformin would prevent or delay the development of diabetes. METHODS: We randomly assigned 3234 nondiabetic persons with elevated fasting and post-load plasma glucose concentrations to placebo, metformin (850 mg twice daily), or a lifestyle-modification program with the goals of at least a 7 percent weight loss and at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week. The mean age of the participants was 51 years, and the mean body-mass index (the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters) was 34.0; 68 percent were women, and 45 percent were members of minority groups. RESULTS: The average follow-up was 2.8 years. The incidence of diabetes was 11.0, 7.8, and 4.8 cases per 100 person-years in the placebo, metformin, and lifestyle groups, respectively. The lifestyle intervention reduced the incidence by 58 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 48 to 66 percent) and metformin by 31 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 17 to 43 percent), as compared with placebo; the lifestyle intervention was significantly more effective than metformin. To prevent one case of diabetes during a period of three years, 6.9 persons would have to participate in the lifestyle-intervention program, and 13.9 would have to receive metformin. CONCLUSIONS: Lifestyle changes and treatment with metformin both reduced the incidence of diabetes in persons at high risk. The lifestyle intervention was more effective than metformin.



The bottom line is to get off the couch.

 

Quite informative article....and actually talking about the PCOS, which is one of the reasons I was recently put on it. I haven't officially started taking it yet as I am trying to figure out at which meal I should take it since my work/eating schedule is so crazy and different almost every day. I'm gonna get it figured out soon.

 

Thanks for the postings! Intersting articles.

 

Thelt... If you are still thinking of going on this meds, go see a specialist. It's your health you are talking about. And ask questions...

What is this gonna do to your body's ability to make insulin in 20 years?

Is this gonna knock your sugar down to the point you have frequent hypoglycemic episodes?

Are you gonna have to be on this forever?


Don't be afraid to ask questions!

 

I have already started on them. I am supposed to go back in a month for more blood tests. I will monitor it closely and ask him when I go back. I felt bad like I had low blood sugar for a day or two but then it cleared up. I think it is lessening my appetite. Fred, I know we argue alot but I appreciate your advice on this and I am not dismissing it.

 

I believe in not going on meds till you have to. Our society has become dependant on a pill for everything. The thought of someone who is not a diabetic being on Gluchophage doeesnt set right. I've seen diabetics crash (sugar drop real low) from this med. The thought of giving it to someone with a normal blood sugar just bothers me.

 

I have felt my blood sugar get low before and I think I would recognize it if it caused this. The doctor told me you can take this up to four times per day but only wanted me to take it once per day. The theory on it seems logical. If you have insulin resistance that is going to make your pancrease work harder and over time make it give out. If you can make your body less resistant then it should let the pancrease work less. I will proceed with caution though.

 

I hope it is at least a 500mg pill and not a 850mg or 1000mg.

Also, severe hypoglycemic attacks occur from a chemical (insulin, oral antidiabetic agents) much faster than they normally occur without them. ie: keep hard candy nearby at all times just in case.

 

They are 500mg.