Why does insulin resistance develop due to persistently high blood sugar levels?

• Continuous insulin production pressure: 

When blood sugar levels are persistently high, the pancreas continually produces more insulin to get the sugar into the cells. This persistent “overactivity” eventually exhausts the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas 1 3 8 .

• Cell insensitivity: 

Insulin receptors on the surface of cells become “adapted” to insulin and become less responsive to it as a result of persistently high insulin levels. This means that more and more insulin is needed to absorb the same amount of glucose, which leads to insulin resistance 3 5 8 .

• Receptor problems: 

As a result of persistently high blood sugar and insulin levels, the insulin receptors in the cells do not function properly or are even formed incorrectly, so insulin cannot effectively exert its blood sugar-lowering effect 5 8 .

• Fat accumulation and fatty liver: 

High blood sugar levels fill up glycogen stores in the liver and muscles, and excess sugar is converted into fat, leading to adiposity. This further impairs the sensitivity of cells to insulin, especially in the liver and muscles 7 .

• Genetic and lifestyle factors: 

In addition to genetic predisposition, a sedentary lifestyle, being overweight (especially abdominal obesity), an unhealthy diet, and stress all increase the risk of developing insulin resistance 1 6 8 10 .

In summary:

Persistently high blood sugar levels cause the body to produce more and more insulin, but over time, the insulin receptors in the cells become insensitive to insulin, so sugar does not enter the cells effectively. This condition is called insulin resistance, which is a precursor to type 2 diabetes and is associated with lifestyle factors as well as hereditary predisposition 1 3 5 8 .