Research Findings on Insulin Resistance & Health Issues

This research demonstrates why testing for insulin resistance is essential—blood pressure medications manage symptoms while these underlying processes
may continue.

The claims on this website about insulin resistance and organ damage are not marketing hyperbole—they’re backed by peer-reviewed medical research. Below you’ll find direct links to studies published in medical journals and indexed in PubMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s
database of biomedical literature.

Here are the peer-reviewed studies linking each condition to insulin resistance:

1. FATTY LIVER DISEASE (NAFLD/NASH)

Link to insulin resistance: Insulin resistance is the central pathophysiological mechanism driving fatty liver disease. Studies show 5-fold higher NAFLD prevalence in patients with insulin resistance.

PubMed Research:

  • https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20370677/ – “Insulin resistance in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease” – Establishes insulin resistance as the pathophysiological driver of NAFLD
  • https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30556145/ – “Modulation of Insulin Resistance in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease” – Shows NAFLD prevalence is 5-fold higher in diabetes patients; insulin resistance drives disease progression
  • https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31915606/ – “Pathogenesis of Insulin Resistance and Atherogenic Dyslipidemia in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease” – Links insulin resistance to NAFLD-related cardiovascular risk

2. HEART – ATHEROSCLEROSIS & CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

Link to insulin resistance: Insulin resistance is a strong independent predictor of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular events through multiple mechanisms including endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, and dyslipidemia.

PubMed Research:

3. BRAIN – ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE & COGNITIVE DECLINE (“TYPE 3 DIABETES”)

Link to insulin resistance: Brain insulin resistance impairs neuronal signaling, glucose metabolism, and amyloid-beta clearance. Alzheimer’s is increasingly recognized as “Type 3 Diabetes” due to central role of insulin resistance.

PubMed Research:

  • https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35269827/ – “Alzheimer’s Disease as Type 3 Diabetes: Common Pathophysiological Mechanisms between Alzheimer’s Disease and Type 2 Diabetes” – Comprehensive review of shared mechanisms including insulin resistance, neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress
  • https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28049395/ – “Type 3 Diabetes Mellitus: A Novel Implication of Alzheimers Disease” – Explains brain insulin resistance and reduced insulin receptor expression in AD patients
  • https://www.jci.org/articles/view/64595 – “Alzheimer’s disease and insulin resistance: translating basic science into clinical applications” – Demonstrates insulin resistance as key mechanism in neuronal dysfunction
  • https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13098-025-01930-2 – “A systematic review on type 3 diabetes: bridging the gap between metabolic dysfunction and Alzheimer’s disease” – Recent 2025 systematic review identifying insulin resistance as key pathological driver

4. KIDNEYS – CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE

Link to insulin resistance: Insulin resistance appears early in CKD (even when GFR is normal) and contributes to disease progression through multiple mechanisms including inflammation, oxidative stress, and vascular dysfunction.

PubMed Research:

  • https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27707707/ – “Insulin resistance in chronic kidney disease: a systematic review” – Comprehensive systematic review showing insulin resistance is early metabolic alteration in CKD, becoming almost universal in end-stage kidney failure
  • https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19473633/ – “Insulin resistance is a risk factor for the progression of chronic kidney disease” – Demonstrates insulin resistance as significant risk factor for deterioration of renal function
  • https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34959901/ – “Role and Treatment of Insulin Resistance in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease” – Reviews how insulin resistance influences endothelial dysfunction, hypertension, and dyslipidemia in CKD
  • https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12538749/ – “Insulin resistance and risk of chronic kidney disease in nondiabetic US adults” – Large study showing 4-fold increased odds of CKD in highest insulin resistance quartile

5. SYSTEM-WIDE – CHRONIC INFLAMMATION & CANCER RISK

Link to insulin resistance: Insulin resistance drives chronic low-grade inflammation and creates pro-tumorigenic environment through hyperinsulinemia, IGF-1 activation, and inflammatory cytokines. Studies show 10-71% increased cancer risk.

PubMed Research:

  • https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40269845/ – “Temporal relationship between chronic inflammation and insulin resistance and their combined cumulative effect on cancer risk” – 2025 longitudinal cohort study showing high chronic inflammation plus high insulin resistance increases cancer risk by 71%
  • https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22701472/ – “Insulin resistance and cancer risk: an overview of the pathogenetic mechanisms” – Reviews mechanisms including hyperinsulinemia, IGF-1, inflammatory cytokines, and oxidative stress
  • https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40089612/ – “Insulin resistance and cancer: molecular links and clinical perspectives” – Shows 10-20% increased risk of various solid tumors in insulin-resistant individuals; up to 2.5-fold increased risk for pancreatic and liver cancers
  • https://www.mdpi.com/1718-7729/32/9/477 – “The Role of Insulin Resistance in Cancer” – 2025 review explaining how high insulin levels, chronic inflammation, and altered cellular energy usage fuel tumor growth
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