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Risk May Show Up at 13

Insulin Resistance during Teens May Warn of Heart Disease and Diabetes Later By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD
on Monday, August 21, 2006

Aug. 21, 2006 -- Problems with the body's response to insulin that start in adolescence may be an early warning sign of heart disease and type 2 diabetes in adulthood.

A new study suggests 13 year olds with insulin resistancee may face a higher risk of heart disease and diabetes by their 19th birthday.

Insulin resistance occurs when the body has a weakened response to insulin, a hormone necessary to maintain normal blood sugar levels.

The researchers say the increased risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes found in teens with insulin resistance was independent of other known risk factors for these diseases, such as obesity.

"This is the first study to show insulin resistance by itself is a significant predictor of cardiovascular disease, beginning in childhood," says researcher Alan Sinaiko, MD, in a news release. Sinaiko is a professor of pediatrics at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis.