Overview

Hyperinsulinemia

Hyperinsulinemia happens when you have a higher amount of insulin in your

blood than what's considered normal due to insulin resistance. Your pancreas has
to work harder to manage your blood sugar levels by releasing extra insulin.

Contents Overview Symptoms and Causes Diagnosis and Tests

Management and Treatment Prevention Outlook / Prognosis Living With

Overview
What is hyperinsulinemia?
Hyperinsulinemia happens when you have a higher amount of insulin in your
blood than what's considered normal. Insulin is a hormone your pancreas makes
and releases that’s essential for life and for regulating blood glucose (sugar)
levels, specifically by lowering glucose levels.

In most cases, hyperinsulinemia results from insulin resistance, which happens

when cells in your muscles, fat and liver don’t respond as they should to insulin.
The development of insulin resistance typically increases insulin production
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(hyperinsulinemia) so that your body can maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
If a person has excess insulin in their body and doesn’t have insulin resistance, it
Overview
would cause low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). In the case of hyperinsulinemia due
to insulin resistance, excess insulin doesn’t cause low blood sugar.

Chronic insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia can result in chronic high blood
sugar (hyperglycemia), which leads to prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes.

Due to the similarity in their names, people often confuse hyperinsulinemia with
hyperinsulinism. Hyperinsulinism is a different condition that happens when a
person has excess insulin in their blood due to an issue with their pancreas. This
could be a tumor that produces excess insulin called an insulinoma or a
congenital condition (a condition you’re born with) in which a gene mutation
causes excess insulin production. Unlike hyperinsulinemia, hyperinsulinism
causes low blood sugar.

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Who does hyperinsulinemia affect?
Hyperinsulinemia caused by insulin resistance can affect anyone, and it can be
Overview
temporary or chronic. The two main factors that seem to contribute to insulin
resistance and hyperinsulinemia are excess body fat, especially around your belly,
and a lack of physical activity.

How common is hyperinsulinemia?

Since there are no common tests to check for hyperinsulinemia and there are no
symptoms until insulin resistance turns into prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes, the
best way to measure the prevalence of hyperinsulinemia is through the number of
prediabetes cases. More than 84 million adults in the United States have
prediabetes. That’s about one out of every three adults.

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How does hyperinsulinemia affect my body?

In addition to prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes, hyperinsulinemia is associated
with the following conditions:

Obesity.
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Metabolic syndrome.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

 Higher triglyceride levels.
Overview
High uric acid.

Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis).

High blood pressure (hypertension).

Symptoms and Causes

What are the symptoms of hyperinsulinemia?
You may have no noticeable symptoms of hyperinsulinemia that results from
insulin resistance. This is because your pancreas is able to produce enough
insulin to overcome the resistance. However, chronic insulin resistance and
hyperinsulinemia often result in prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes.

Many people have no symptoms of prediabetes, often for years, but some people
with prediabetes may experience the following symptoms:

Darkened skin in your armpit or back and sides of your neck, called
acanthosis nigricans.

Skin tags (small skin growths).

Eye changes that can lead to diabetic retinopathy.

Symptoms of Type 2 diabetes include:

Increased thirst.

Frequent urination (peeing).

Increased hunger.
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Blurred vision.

Headaches.
 Vaginal and skin infections.
Overview
Slow-healing cuts and sores.

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s important to see your

healthcare provider.

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What causes hyperinsulinemia?

Insulin resistance is the primary cause of hyperinsulinemia. Because your body is
not using insulin properly with insulin resistance, your pancreas has to release
extra insulin to try to keep your blood sugar levels in a healthy range.

Diagnosis and Tests

How is hyperinsulinemia diagnosed?
Hyperinsulinemia can be tricky to diagnose since it often doesn’t have any
symptoms unless it results in prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes. There’s also no
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common test to check for excess insulin levels specifically, especially since
insulin levels can vary widely throughout the day.
Since there’s no single test that can directly diagnose hyperinsulinemia, your
Overview
healthcare provider will consider several factors when assessing the condition,
including your:

Medical history.

Family history.

Physical exam.

Signs and symptoms.

Blood tests results, such as fasting plasma glucose (FPG) test results.

Management and Treatment

How is hyperinsulinemia treated?
Since not all factors that contribute to hyperinsulinemia can be treated, such as
genetic factors and age, lifestyle modifications are the primary treatment for
hyperinsulinemia. Lifestyle modifications include:

Diet: Your healthcare provider or nutritionist may recommend avoiding eating

excessive amounts of carbohydrates (which stimulate excess insulin output)
and eating less unhealthy fat, sugar, red meats and processed starches.
Instead, they’ll likely recommend eating a diet of whole foods that includes
more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish and lean poultry.

Exercise: Exercise lowers insulin levels and gradually increases insulin

sensitivity, which can help treat hyperinsulinemia.

Weight loss: Weight loss is associated with improvement in hyperinsulinemia,

whereas weight gain is associated with worsening hyperinsulinemia. TreatingAd
obesity with lifestyle modifications, dietary changes, medication or bariatric
surgery improves hyperinsulinemia.
Bariatric surgery for people with class III obesity results in a rapid correction of
Overview
hyperinsulinemia within one week of surgery. In addition, insulin sensitivity
improves between six and 24 months after surgery. However, not everyone is a
good candidate for bariatric surgery. Talk to your healthcare provider about
treatment options that are right for you.

Can hyperinsulinemia be reversed?

Insulin resistance — and the subsequent hyperinsulinemia — has several causes
and contributing factors. Lifestyle changes, such as eating a healthy diet,
exercising regularly and losing excess weight, can increase insulin sensitivity and
decrease insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia. But not all causes are
reversible.

Talk you your healthcare provider about what you can do to best manage insulin
resistance and hyperinsulinemia.

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Prevention
What are the risk factors for developing hyperinsulinemia?
Certain genetic and lifestyle risk factors make it more likely that you’ll develop
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hyperinsulinemia. Risk factors include:

Having overweight or obesity, especially excess fat around your belly.

 Being age 45 or older.
Overview
Having first-degree relative (biological parent or sibling) with diabetes.

Having a sedentary lifestyle.

Having certain health conditions, such as high blood pressure and abnormal
cholesterol levels.

Having a history of heart disease or stroke.

Having a sleeping disorder, such as sleep apnea.

Smoking.

Outlook / Prognosis
What is the prognosis (outlook) for hyperinsulinemia?
The prognosis (outlook) of hyperinsulinemia depends on several factors,
including:

The cause of insulin resistance (which causes hyperinsulinemia).

The severity of insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia.

How susceptible you are to developing secondary complications from insulin

resistance and hyperinsulinemia.

Adherence to treatment and your body’s response to treatment.

People can have mild insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia that never turn into
prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes. People can also have insulin resistance and
hyperinsulinemia that’s reversible or very manageable with lifestyle changes.
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If hyperinsulinemia results in Type 2 diabetes, it’s important to do your best to
manage the condition to prevent possible complications.
Living With
Overview
When should I see my healthcare provider about
hyperinsulinemia?
If you’ve been diagnosed with hyperinsulinemia or conditions related to insulin
resistance and hyperinsulinemia, it’s important to see your healthcare provider
regularly to make sure your blood sugar levels are in a healthy range and that your
treatment is working.

If you’re experiencing symptoms of high blood sugar or prediabetes, contact your

provider. They can run simple tests to check your blood sugar levels.

A note from Cleveland Clinic

Hyperinsulinemia is a potentially harmful condition that’s usually the result of

insulin resistance. Since it doesn’t have any symptoms until it turns into
prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes, the best thing you can do is try to prevent and
reverse insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia by maintaining a healthy weight,
exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet.

Medically Reviewed

Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 09/20/2022.

Learn more about our editorial process.

References
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