High Fasting Insulin

What the evidence shows

1. Higher fasting insulin increases risk of coronary heart disease (CHD)

A large meta?analysis of prospective cohort studies found that people with the highest fasting insulin levels had a 50% higher risk of CHD compared with those with the lowest levels.

• Each 50?pmol/L increase in fasting insulin raised CHD risk by 16%.

• High fasting insulin was also linked to hypertension, another major heart?disease driver.

2. Hyperinsulinemia is strongly linked to atherosclerosis and metabolic dysfunction

High insulin levels correlate with:

• Atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries)

• High triglycerides

• Low HDL cholesterol

• High blood pressure

These are all established cardiovascular risk factors.

3. Some studies show the risk is partly indirect

One long?term study in Finnish men found that high fasting insulin predicted cardiovascular death, but much of the risk was explained by obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia — conditions caused or worsened by insulin resistance.

4. Insulin resistance is the root problem

High fasting insulin usually means the body is becoming resistant to insulin. This leads to:

• Chronic inflammation

• Elevated blood pressure

• Abnormal cholesterol

• Increased visceral fat

All of these accelerate heart disease.
High fasting insulin is not always a direct cause, but it is a strong marker and contributor to the metabolic environment that causes heart disease. In practice, it’s an early warning sign that cardiovascular risk is rising.
Make sure that your primary care orders a FASTING INSULIN test when they do bloodwork. They only do this by request!