When it comes to blood sugar issues, most people only think about diabetes once their glucose levels are already high. But what if we told you the body sends out earlier warning signs—sometimes up to 10 years before your blood sugar ever becomes a problem? One of the most important of these early indicators is insulin sensitivity.
What Is Insulin Sensitivity?
Insulin is a hormone that helps your cells absorb glucose (sugar) from the bloodstream. When your body is insulin sensitive, it means your cells respond well to insulin and efficiently absorb sugar. But when you begin to lose this sensitivity, your body must produce more and more insulin to get the job done.
This is called insulin resistance—and it often develops slowly and silently, well before your blood sugar levels start to rise. Over time, this resistance can strain your pancreas and push you toward type 2 diabetes.
The 10-Year Head Start
Research shows that insulin resistance can develop up to a decade before high blood sugar levels appear on standard tests. That means you could be on the road to diabetes and not even know it—because your regular blood sugar checks might still look “normal.”
Fortunately, there’s a way to catch it early. A fasting insulin test can measure how much insulin your body is producing in a fasted state. Elevated fasting insulin levels often mean your body is working overtime just to keep your blood sugar in check.
Why Early Detection Matters
The earlier we detect signs of insulin resistance, the sooner we can intervene with changes to diet, sleep, exercise, and general lifestyle improvements—all of which can reverse the trend and restore your body’s natural hormonal balance.
As a chiropractic office focused on whole-body wellness, we emphasize not only spinal alignment but also functional health. If your fasting insulin is high—even if your blood sugar is not—it’s a powerful signal that something needs to change.