Can insulin sensitivity in early life indicate your risk of developing cardiovascular disease?

This study examined whether insulin sensitivity is associated with arterial stiffness in youths with type 1 diabetes.

Insulin sensitivity is the ability of insulin to work in the body. When insulin sensitivity is decreased (insulin resistance), hyperglycaemia (high levels of glucose in the blood) can occur. Young type 1 diabetics who have decreased insulin sensitivity have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the narrowing or blockage of blood vessels and can lead to heart failure or stroke. Narrowing of arteries is due to the formation of fats on the walls of arteries. This leads to increased stiffness of the arteries and can be detected early in life. This can indicate whether indicate whether a patient may develop CVD.

This study aimed to determine whether insulin sensitivity in youths with type 1 diabetes (T1D) is associated with the progression of arterial stiffness.

This study involved 298 T1D youths. Insulin sensitivity was measured using an equation which requires the patient’s waist size, cholesterol levels and HbA1c. HbA1c is a measurement of average blood glucose levels over the past 3 months. A technique called pulse wave velocity was used to measure arterial stiffness. Insulin sensitivity and arterial stiffness were measured twice, five years apart. Factors such as age, sex, race and other cardiovascular risk factors such as body mass index (BMI – a measurement based on height and weight), blood pressure and smoking were accounted for.

A higher insulin sensitivity was associated with a lower rate of progression of arterial stiffness. This association did not depend on demographics or other cardiovascular risk factors.    

This study concluded that low insulin sensitivity is a risk factor for arterial stiffness in T1D youths.

There were a number of limitations in this study. A non-diabetic control group was not used in this study. Measurements for insulin sensitivity and arterial stiffness were only taken twice. The follow-up period was only for five years.  

Consult your physician regarding the options available to enhance your insulin sensitivity in order to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.