Curated by Gerolamo Cavalli and Gabriele Gualandris
What is insulin resistance?
First of all, let's say what insulin is: it is a hormone that, among its many functions, has that of a key that opens a cell door so that glucose can enter it and perform its function.
Some people (even non-diabetics, mind you) despite producing sufficient quantities of insulin (indeed sometimes this is even excessive) are unable to use it correctly, precisely because the cell resists insulin and consequently does not allow glucose to enter it. , so that it remains in the bloodstream and insulin becomes ineffective in its action. The organism, to run for cover, produces an increasing amount of insulin, which in the end only worsens the situation, leading to the islets of Langerhans (the insulin-producing islands) to run out, up to type 2 diabetes.
Yet the average life has lengthened ...
The average life span in Italy is 75 years: this seems a good result in itself ... But let's examine the statistical data in an intrinsic way and not as a simple number.
75 years of life; but in the last 20 what is the quality of my life? When I'm 70 am I in a nursing home in a wheelchair and looking at the park below, or am I in the park below doing my morning jog? It is trivial to say that the two situations are very different.
Then we have the drugs that come to our aid, even if falling into abuse is frequent, since those who produce them have every interest in it, and the TV reminds us every day that there is a pill for any problem. Even for the doctor it is easier to prescribe a tablet to lower blood pressure than to help correct the lifestyle of a person who has no desire to change their bad habits; and it is also curious that billions are invested in research. for cancer and that the state itself sells us cigarettes, right?
So now we have comfortable homes, we don't have bears that want to eat us, we have antibiotics (as long as we use them only when strictly necessary), and so on, all beautiful things that help us live longer; but are you sure that we cannot do better? And that those 75 can be more but above all of a much higher quality after the age of 50-60?
In our opinion, yes, but unfortunately Einstein seems to be right for the umpteenth time ...
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity, but I still have doubts about the universe.
Albert Einstein
Other articles on "Metabolic Syndrome and" Insulin Resistance "
- Metabolic syndrome and nutrition
- Metabolic syndrome
- Metabolic Syndrome - Drugs for the treatment of the Metabolic Syndrome
- Diet and metabolic syndrome
- Metabolic syndrome and lifestyle
- Metabolic syndrome: whose fault is it?
