
January 26, 2002
Research: Causes and Prevention
Question from South Australia:
My 40 year old husband has just been diagnosed with hyperinsulinaemia, and his mother has diabetes. Can this lead to diabetes? He has been put on a strict diet, which he will be sticking to. Can this control the onset of diabetes, if there is a possibility of it occurring?
Answer:
Hyperinsulinemia is not quite the same as diabetes. Many people develop diabetes out of a background of hyperinsulinemia, specifically type 2 diabetes. However, hyperinsulinemia has been suggested to be a risk for cardiovascular disease. Specific interventions include diet, exercise, and weight loss which will decrease the magnitude of hyperinsulinemia and decrease the risk for developing diabetes.
There are also several markers of the insulin resistance syndrome which are clinical markers of the condition. They include hypertension, elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels, coronary artery disease, and obesity.
JTL