Insulin Resistance - A Secret Killer?

In his Banting Lecture in 1988, Reaven coined the term “Syndrome X” to describe the following constellation: resistance to insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, glucose intolerance, hyperinsulinemia, increased levels of very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) triglyceride, decreased levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and hypertension.¹ The phenomenon of insulin resistance is well known in obesity, polycystic ovary syndrome, diabetes mellitus, lupus and other autoimmune diseases characterized by antibodies to the insulin receptor, partial or complete lipodystrophy, rare disorders such as leprechaunism, and a variety of endocrine diseases.² It is generally considered to be secondary in these conditions, with a reversion to normal if the.