In a large-scale study researchers uncovered significant associations between insulin resistance and 31 distinct diseases, as well as all-cause mortality.

During a median follow-up of 13 years, insulin resistance (IR) was found to be associated with a higher risk for 26 diseases and a lower risk for 5, as well as all-cause mortality in females. Strong correlations were found for diabetes, gout, disorders of lipoprotein metabolism, and other lipidaemias; novel associations were discovered with gout, Parkinson's disease, and sciatica.

For each unit increase in insulin resistance, the risk of pancreatitis rose by 31%, the risk of sleep disorders by 18%, and the risk of bacterial infections by 8%.

Researchers looked at data from a UK Biobank cohort of 429,159 participants aged 40 to 69 years. IR measurement was calculated using TyG index and TG/HDL-C ratio. Results were validated using a review of previous cohort and case-control studies on the relationship between IR and the diseases.

The research, conducted by J. Wu and Y. Song from the Department of Endocrinology at Shandong Provincial Hospital, China, was presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) 2024 Annual Meeting in Madrid.

The researchers emphasized the need for further investigation into the mechanisms underlying the observed associations and potential targets for mitigating the adverse effects of IR on systemic health. "Our study provided compelling evidence supporting the significant association between IR and systemic diseases. Further research is warranted to investigate deeper into the mechanisms underlying this association and to explore potential targets for mitigating the adverse effects of IR on systemic health," they noted.

The findings are considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.