Insulin Resistance Assessment and Metabolic Health

Insulin resistance describes a state in which target tissues such as muscle, fat and liver respond inadequately to circulating insulin, leading to impaired glucose uptake, compensatory hyperinsulinaemia and dysregulated lipid metabolism. Over time, this disturbance in insulin signalling underpins the development of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Accurate assessment of insulin resistance is therefore critical for early identification of at-risk individuals and the implementation of tailored lifestyle or pharmacological interventions. Methods range from direct measurements of insulin-mediated glucose disposal to surrogate indices derived from fasting or post-load glucose and insulin concentrations. Beyond glycaemic parameters, emerging research links subtle elevations in insulin resistance with subclinical vascular changes, systemic inflammation and alterations in adipose tissue function. Understanding these interconnections informs prevention strategies that target not only blood glucose but also the broader cardiometabolic profile.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Insulin Resistance Assessment and Metabolic Health publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in insulin resistance assessment and metabolic health across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Insulin resistance (IR): A reduced biological response of tissues to insulin signalling, leading to impaired glucose uptake and compensatory hyperinsulinaemia.

Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR): A surrogate index calculated from fasting glucose and insulin concentrations to estimate insulin resistance.

Matsuda Index: An insulin sensitivity index derived from glucose and insulin measurements during an oral glucose tolerance test to approximate whole-body insulin action.

Euglycaemic-hyperinsulinaemic clamp: The reference standard method for quantifying insulin-mediated glucose disposal by infusing insulin and glucose to maintain near-normal blood glucose levels.

Metabolic syndrome: A cluster of interrelated conditions—central obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia and hypertension—that increase cardiometabolic risk.

References

1. Early insulin resistance in normoglycemic low-risk individuals is associated with subclinical atherosclerosis. Cardiovascular Diabetology (2023).
2. Surrogate indices of insulin resistance using the Matsuda index as reference in adult men—a computational approach. Frontiers in Endocrinology (2024).
3. Non-linear associations of HOMA2-IR with all-cause mortality in general populations: insights from NHANES 1999–2006. BMC Public Health (2024).