Low Insulin Sensitivity Linked to Albuminuria Development in Diabetes Patients: Study

A recent study uncovered a significant link between reduced insulin sensitivity and the development of albuminuria, a key marker of kidney damage, in individuals with diabetes. This finding were published in the journal of Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.

This study was conducted among Southwestern Indigenous American adults to investigate the association between insulin action and secretion measured before the onset of diabetes and the subsequent development of albuminuria after diabetes onset. The team led by Meeah Willig meticulously assessed baseline body composition, insulin sensitivity at different levels of insulin stimulation and insulin secretion in a total of 170 participants who eventually developed diabetes.

Over a median follow-up period of 13.6 years, approximately 48% of the participants developed albuminuria which indicates renal impairment. The individuals who developed albuminuria expressed similar demographic characteristics, such as age, sex and body fat percentage when compared to the individuals who did not. However, they displayed significantly lower insulin sensitivity, particularly at submaximal and maximal insulin stimulation levels.

Further analysis revealed a compelling association between lower insulin sensitivity and an elevated risk of albuminuria. Also, the participants with lower insulin sensitivity levels demonstrated a 51% higher risk of developing albuminuria when compared to the individuals with higher sensitivity levels. This suggests that impaired insulin signaling may play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of proteinuria which is a hallmark of kidney damage in diabetes.

The study underlines the crucial role of insulin sensitivity in renal health among individuals with diabetes while insulin secretion did not show a significant association with the risk of albuminuria. These findings have significant implications for the management of diabetes and highlight the importance of addressing insulin resistance to prevent renal complications.

Source:

Willig, M. R., Stinson, E. J., Looker, H. C., Piaggi, P., Mitchell, C. M., Hanson, R. L., Nelson, R. G., Krakoff, J., & Chang, D. C. (2024). Insulin resistance before type 2 diabetes onset is associated with increased risk of albuminuria after diabetes onset: A prospective cohort study. In Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1111/dom.15505