Is this Patient Insulin Resistant? How Much does it Matter?

Abstract

Alex was an obese 10-year-old girl with a family history of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and perhaps polycystic ovarian syndrome. Her physical examination was significant for a central accumulation of body fat and acanthosis nigricans. Although the laboratory studies indicated that Alex was not diabetic and probably not glucose intolerant, she could be insulin resistant (IR). Should any further evaluation be done? If Alex is IR, what kind of treatment should be offered? The following discussion addresses these questions by reviewing the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and consequences of isolated IR.