An insulin resistance syndrome is a pathology that precedes the onset of diabetes. And what is the NOMA index? Thanks to the indicators of this index, it is possible to determine the lack of sensitivity to the action of insulin at an early stage of the disease, and also to assess the estimated risk of developing diabetes mellitus, diseases of the cardiovascular system, atherosclerosis. In this article, we will examine in more detail what the NOMA index is, in what cases it is necessary to identify it, and also what is its norm.
What is insulin resistance?
Insulin resistance is a loss of sensitivity of the cells of the human body to the effects of insulin. In the presence of this condition in humans, the level of insulin in the blood rises and the amount of glucose increases. If this condition is combined with dyslipidemia, obesity, impaired sugar tolerance, then this pathology will be called metabolic syndrome. Speaking about what is the NOMA index, you need to understand that with the help of this analysis, the sensitivity of the human body to insulin is revealed.
Causes of the disease
Insulin resistance begins to develop under the influence of the following factors:
- Hormonal failure in the body.
- Overweight.
- Hereditary predisposition.
- The use of certain medications.
- An unbalanced diet, in particular, carbohydrate abuse.
This is not the whole list of reasons for the development of such a disease as insulin resistance. In patients who abuse alcohol, this condition is also often observed. In addition, this pathology accompanies thyroid disease, Itsenko-Cushing's syndrome, polycystic ovary, pheochromocytoma. In some cases, insulin resistance is diagnosed in the fair sex during pregnancy.
Symptoms of the disease
Clinical symptoms begin to manifest themselves at a later stage in the development of the disease. Persons who have insulin resistance have an abdominal type of obesity when fat is deposited in the abdomen. In addition, they can observe changes in the skin: hyperpigmentation in the neck, armpits, and mammary glands. In addition, in these patients, pressure increases, the psycho-emotional background changes, and digestive problems also appear.
And now in more detail we will consider what the NOMA index is and how to determine it.
The calculation of the insulin resistance index
The NOMA index stands for Homeostasis Model assessment of insulin Resistance. Above, we figured out what the NOMA index is, but how to determine it? To determine this indicator, you need to do a blood test. Speaking about how to calculate the NOMA index, you should be aware that two formulas are used for this: the CARO index and the NOMA-IR index:
- The CARO formula is as follows: the amount of glucose in plasma delivered on an empty stomach should be divided by the insulin values in the analysis given on an empty stomach. The result should not exceed the norm of 0.33.
- The NOMA-IR formula will look like this: insulin values (in the analysis given on an empty stomach) should be multiplied by the amount of glucose in plasma delivered on an empty stomach, and the result should be divided by 22.5. The norm of the NOMA index in this case should be no more than 2.7.
How to pass tests?
The formulas for calculating this indicator have been described above. But how to pass the analysis of the NOMA index? First of all, it should be noted that the analysis is given from a vein, after which a test for insulin resistance is done. The determination of insulin resistance and diagnosis is subject to the following rules:
- Before passing a blood test to the NOMA index, it is forbidden to smoke for 30 minutes before the procedure.
- Before analysis, you should also refrain from eating food for 12 hours.
- Blood is taken on an empty stomach in the morning.
- It is forbidden to take physical exercises for half an hour before passing the analysis.
- The patient must inform the attending physician in case of taking any medications.
But if the NOMA index is raised, what does it mean? We will talk about this in the next section.
What is the norm of the insulin resistance index?
The optimal indicator of this analysis should not exceed 2.7. The fasting glucose test used to calculate this index may vary depending on the age of the patient. For example, insulin resistance index values will range from 3.3 to 5.6 among patients whose age is less than 14 years. Persons over 14 years old have an index of 4.1 to 5.9.
Abnormal Insulin Resistance Index
The NOMA index is increased if its value is more than 2.7. An increase in this indicator may indicate the presence of some pathologies. The physiological insulin resistance index may increase if conditions were not met before the test. In this situation, the analysis must be retaken, after which the indicators are evaluated again. But if all the conditions are met, then the rate of insulin resistance can be increased due to the development of diabetes mellitus, as well as other diseases that were described above in the article.
It should also be noted that the norm of the NOMA index for women and men will be exactly the same. As mentioned earlier, the difference lies only in the age of the patient.
An excess of insulin in the blood in the male and female body negatively affects the state of the vessels, causing the progression of a disease such as atherosclerosis. In addition, the hormone can contribute to the accumulation of cholesterol plaques on the walls of arteries, the formation of blood clots and blood clotting. All this increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, cardiac ischemia, as well as diseases of other organs.
Speaking separately about diabetes, at the stage of insulin resistance, the human body produces a large amount of insulin, while trying to compensate for the deficiency of glucose in the blood, thus overcoming tissue immunity. However, over time, the insular apparatus begins to deplete, and the pancreas is no longer able to synthesize this hormone in the required amount. The amount of glucose increases, type 2 diabetes mellitus begins to develop.
In addition, an increased rate of insulin resistance can cause the development of chronic hypertension in men and women. Insulin directly affects the functioning of the nervous system, contributes to an increase in the amount of norepinephrine, which causes vascular spasm. As a result, the patient's blood pressure increases. Protein hormone begins to delay the excretion of fluids and sodium from the human body, which can also trigger the development of hypertension.
Violation of indicators of insulin resistance in women can provoke a violation in the work of the genital organs. Polycystic ovary syndrome begins to develop, as well as infertility. A large amount of insulin in the blood causes an imbalance of harmful and beneficial lipoproteins. And this increases the likelihood of developing atherosclerosis of blood vessels or aggravates existing diseases.
Therapy Features
What to do if the NOMA index has increased? Is it possible to completely cure insulin resistance? To restore metabolic processes in the human body, you need to regularly engage in physical activity, adhere to a low-carb diet, abandon bad habits, observe a diet, rest and sleep.
When the specialist receives the results of the study, he must prescribe drug therapy, which is based on the individual characteristics of the patient's body. In parallel with this, the doctor should prescribe an appropriate diet for a patient who has an increased NOMA index.
From his diet he will have to exclude potatoes, sweets, semolina, pasta, white bread. It is allowed to eat fresh fruits, vegetables, low-fat meats, sour-milk products, rye and bran bread.
Is it possible to completely get rid of insulin resistance? If you correct your lifestyle in a timely manner, you can significantly reduce the risk of pancreatic depletion, as well as normalize metabolism, while increasing the susceptibility of cells to such a substance as insulin.
Another important criterion for treatment is getting rid of extra pounds and physical activity. The main amount of insulin receptors is concentrated in muscle tissue, which is why hormone absorption is observed during exercise. Losing weight helps normalize blood pressure.
If diet therapy and physical activity do not give any results, then this indicator can be normalized by taking special sugar-lowering medications.
Who is exposed to the disease?
In most cases, diabetes patients or insulin resistance are those patients in whom at least one of the parents suffered from this disease. However, not only the genetic cause leads to this ailment. Other factors can also influence the onset of a disease, such as addictions, being overweight, constant stress, hormonal disruption, a sedentary lifestyle, an unbalanced and unhealthy diet.
Conclusion
Do not panic ahead of time if, during the study, patients showed an increased insulin resistance index. In this case, you must follow the advice of specialists, change your daily diet, as well as lifestyle. After this, after several months, you should re-donate blood for analysis. As a rule, subject to diet therapy and other doctor's recommendations, the index indicator begins to decrease.