Insulin resistance
Insulin resistance is a biological process in which target tissues such as skeletal muscle, liver, adipose tissue, and, in some contexts, the brain respond less effectively to insulin.
Insulin resistance is a biological process in which target tissues such as skeletal muscle, liver, adipose tissue, and, in some contexts, the brain respond less effectively to insulin. As a result, normal insulin signaling is impaired, glucose uptake and metabolic regulation are reduced, and compensatory hyperinsulinemia may develop. It is a central feature of type 2 diabetes and is also implicated in gestational diabetes mellitus, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, obesity, polycystic ovary syndrome, cardiovascular risk, and several other metabolic and inflammatory disorders.
At the molecular level, insulin resistance is commonly associated with altered insulin receptor signaling and downstream pathways such as IRS-1/Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Protein kinase B (PKB), PPARγ-driven signaling, and related metabolic regulators including PTP1B, mTORC1, and FOXO1. It is also linked to adiposity, ectopic fat accumulation, oxidative stress, inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and changes in hepatokine and adipokine production. Recent studies have continued to frame insulin resistance as both a mechanistic driver and a therapeutic target across metabolic disease, pregnancy complications, pulmonary impairment, cognitive decline, and tissue repair.
Where the papers sit
14 papers from the last 6 months study insulin resistance directly · updated from PubMed 11 Oct 2026
Study type 3 clinical trials · 4 observational · 5 human data · 2 preclinical
Themes one subject · 1 new direction
Those 14 are all about one subject.
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Systemic Metabolic Dysfunction
Insulin resistance is examined across obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, gestational diabetes, HIV, bipolar disorder, cardiovascular disease and impaired lung function. Adipose tissue dysfunction, intermittent hypoxia, inflammation and oxidative stress recur, with FGF21 and IRS-1/PI3K/AKT/GLUT4 signaling providing mechanistic links. TyG and other surrogate indices are repeatedly assessed against clinical outcomes, while sex and tissue-specific differences complicate interpretation. Exercise, liraglutide, evodiamine, N-acetyl cysteine, fisetin and photobiomodulation appear as possible modifiers, but the set supports no unified treatment direction.
Insulin resistance is positioned as a neurobiological mediator of suicidality in bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder, systemic inflammation, white-matter integrity, and suicidal behavior are examined as an interconnected system, rather than treating insulin resistance only as a metabolic risk marker, disease complication, or therapeutic target. The study identifies insulin resistance as a mediator linking immune-metabolic dysfunction to white-matter alterations and suicide risk, extending its role into the neurobiology of suicidality 42212480May.
Papers
The 14 papers from the last 6 months that study insulin resistance directly, newest first, by theme and by study type. Study types come from PubMed publication types and MeSH headings.
By theme
Systemic Metabolic Dysfunction (14)
- Association between insulin resistance and obstructive sleep apnea in non-diabetic children with obesity. European journal of pediatrics · 10 Sept 2026 PMID 42722762
- Sex differences in insulin resistance and associated metabolic and inflammatory markers among adults with and without HIV in Zambia. Physiological reports · 2 Sept 2026 PMID 42682013
- Perinatal Changes in Serum Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 and Their Association With Postpartum Insulin Resistance in Women With Gestational Diabetes Mellitus. The journal of obstetrics and gynaecology research · 31 Aug 2026 PMID 42669966
- Brain insulin resistance: A link between obstructive sleep apnea and cognitive impairment. Journal of diabetes and its complications · 28 Aug 2026 PMID 42664811
- Evodiamine may inhibit insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes through IRS-1/PI3K/AKT/GLUT4 pathway. Scientific reports · 23 Aug 2026 PMID 42634086
- Effect of high dose N-acetyl cysteine supplementation on markers of oxidative stress and insulin resistance in non-diabetic patients with metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease: a randomized controlled trial. BMC gastroenterology · 13 Aug 2026 PMID 42587287
- Adipose tissue insulin resistance, not muscle insulin resistance, is associated with impaired metabolic health in humans. Diabetes research and clinical practice · 2 Aug 2026 PMID 42543083
- Intrinsic capacity and the trajectory of ischemic heart disease and its complications: the mediating role of insulin resistance indices. Maturitas · 4 Jul 2026 PMID 42401064
- 12‑weeks fisetin supplementation and interval resistance with aerobic training: changes in Maresin‑1 and inflammatory markers in men with obesity: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 31 May 2026 PMID 42218768
- Photobiomodulation Alleviates Insulin Resistance Induced by Intermittent Hypoxia, Through Preservation of Adipose Tissue Insulin Signaling and Reduction of Hepatic Oxidative Stress in Mice. Comprehensive Physiology · 30 May 2026 PMID 42216497
- Insulin Resistance as a Mediator of Suicide Risk in Bipolar Disorder: A Neurobiological and Imaging Study. Bipolar disorders · 29 May 2026 PMID 42212480
- Triglyceride-glucose indices distinguish clinical from preclinical obesity in US adults: A cross-sectional study. Medicine · 23 May 2026 PMID 42175452
- Liraglutide and Recurrent Stroke by Baseline Insulin Resistance: A Post Hoc Analysis of the LAMP Trial. Stroke · 18 May 2026 PMID 42145088
- Insulin resistance surrogates and their associations with preserved ratio impaired spirometry in United States adults. Respiratory medicine · 30 Apr 2026 PMID 42061475
By study type
Clinical trials (3)
- Effect of high dose N-acetyl cysteine supplementation on markers of oxidative stress and insulin resistance in non-diabetic patients with metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease: a randomized controlled trial. BMC gastroenterology · 13 Aug 2026 PMID 42587287
- 12‑weeks fisetin supplementation and interval resistance with aerobic training: changes in Maresin‑1 and inflammatory markers in men with obesity: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 31 May 2026 PMID 42218768
- Liraglutide and Recurrent Stroke by Baseline Insulin Resistance: A Post Hoc Analysis of the LAMP Trial. Stroke · 18 May 2026 PMID 42145088
Observational studies and case reports (4)
- Association between insulin resistance and obstructive sleep apnea in non-diabetic children with obesity. European journal of pediatrics · 10 Sept 2026 PMID 42722762
- Sex differences in insulin resistance and associated metabolic and inflammatory markers among adults with and without HIV in Zambia. Physiological reports · 2 Sept 2026 PMID 42682013
- Perinatal Changes in Serum Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 and Their Association With Postpartum Insulin Resistance in Women With Gestational Diabetes Mellitus. The journal of obstetrics and gynaecology research · 31 Aug 2026 PMID 42669966
- Triglyceride-glucose indices distinguish clinical from preclinical obesity in US adults: A cross-sectional study. Medicine · 23 May 2026 PMID 42175452
Human data, design not indexed (5)
- Brain insulin resistance: A link between obstructive sleep apnea and cognitive impairment. Journal of diabetes and its complications · 28 Aug 2026 PMID 42664811
- Adipose tissue insulin resistance, not muscle insulin resistance, is associated with impaired metabolic health in humans. Diabetes research and clinical practice · 2 Aug 2026 PMID 42543083
- Intrinsic capacity and the trajectory of ischemic heart disease and its complications: the mediating role of insulin resistance indices. Maturitas · 4 Jul 2026 PMID 42401064
- Insulin Resistance as a Mediator of Suicide Risk in Bipolar Disorder: A Neurobiological and Imaging Study. Bipolar disorders · 29 May 2026 PMID 42212480
- Insulin resistance surrogates and their associations with preserved ratio impaired spirometry in United States adults. Respiratory medicine · 30 Apr 2026 PMID 42061475
Preclinical: animal, cell and lab studies (2)
- Evodiamine may inhibit insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes through IRS-1/PI3K/AKT/GLUT4 pathway. Scientific reports · 23 Aug 2026 PMID 42634086
- Photobiomodulation Alleviates Insulin Resistance Induced by Intermittent Hypoxia, Through Preservation of Adipose Tissue Insulin Signaling and Reduction of Hepatic Oxidative Stress in Mice. Comprehensive Physiology · 30 May 2026 PMID 42216497
Written from 14 PubMed abstracts, each one listed by PMID above. Published: 2026-06-18. Last written: 2026-09-12 by GPT. Drafted by language models from published abstracts; not medical advice.