Insulin may not be among the first hormones you associate with heart health, but growing evidence suggests it deserves to be. In addition to being a hallmark of type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance has been linked to hypertension, stroke, and buildup of arterial plaque.
When insulin is properly regulated, it circulates in the bloodstream before being taken up by the cells. If the body becomes insulin resistant, the cells stop responding to insulin’s signals, leaving glucose lingering in the blood. This leads to a traffic jam of excess glucose, which can trigger the inflammation and oxidative stress that promote the oxidation of LDL particles. Oxidation damages the particles’ structure, and they become the “bad” LDL cholesterol that is more likely to get trapped in artery walls.
“This is where cardiometabolics come into play,” Bhojraj explains. “Because when you are insulin resistant, you have a lot more circulating damaged LDL particles. That accelerates atherosclerosis.”
You can detect early insulin resistance by having your elevated fasting insulin or A1c levels tested. And continuous glucose monitors can offer real-time insight into how different foods, sleep patterns, and stressors affect your blood sugar.
Ultimately, keeping insulin in check is about consistency, Guarneri says. “What reverses insulin resistance? Intermittent fasting, getting the weight down, and getting off [added] sugar and simple carbs. If you get your habits right, the ripple effects on heart health can be profound.”
What Your Heart Needs
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States. Some practitioners are now adopting an integrative cardiometabolic approach that involves new dietary and lifestyle measures to boost heart health. For more, see “8 Ways to Support Heart Health,” from which this article was excerpted.
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