Insulin Resistance

Insulin resistance is a metabolic condition in which the body's cells—particularly in muscle, fat, and liver tissue—don't respond effectively to insulin, the hormone responsible for moving glucose from the bloodstream into cells for energy. To compensate, the pancreas produces increasingly higher amounts of insulin, creating a state of hyperinsulinemia that directly worsens PCOS by stimulating the ovaries to overproduce androgens, interfering with ovulation, and promoting weight gain, particularly around the midsection. Insulin resistance affects an estimated 65-80% of women with PCOS regardless of body weight (including lean women), making it a cornerstone of the condition's metabolic dysfunction and a primary target for treatment through dietary changes, exercise, and medications like metformin or inositol.