Glucose
HOMA-IR
What This Marker Tells Us
Calculates insulin resistance from fasting glucose and insulin, quantifying how resistant your cells are to insulin's signal.
Why It Matters
Detects insulin resistance years before diabetes diagnosis and better predicts metabolic disease than glucose alone. As insulin resistance develops, your pancreas produces more insulin to maintain normal glucose. HOMA-IR captures this compensatory hyperinsulinemia, revealing metabolic dysfunction hidden by normal glucose. Insulin resistance drives obesity, cardiovascular disease, fatty liver, PCOS, Alzheimer's, and eventually type 2 diabetes. Early detection enables intervention before irreversible damage occurs.
How to Interpret Your Trends
Low HOMA-IR (below 1.0) indicates excellent insulin sensitivity with efficient glucose uptake. Typical values (1.0-2.0) suggest normal insulin function. Elevated HOMA-IR (2.0-2.9) indicates developing insulin resistance requiring intervention. High values (above 2.9) signal significant insulin resistance and dramatically increased metabolic disease risk. Values above 5.0 indicate severe insulin resistance often with metabolic syndrome.
What Influences This Marker
Refined carbohydrates, added sugars, and excess calorie intake drive insulin resistance. Physical inactivity, obesity, visceral fat accumulation, poor sleep, and chronic stress worsen resistance. Inflammation, certain medications, and PCOS elevate HOMA-IR. Exercise, especially resistance training, dramatically improves insulin sensitivity. Low-carb or time-restricted eating, weight loss, adequate sleep, and stress management lower HOMA-IR significantly.
How Your Team Uses It
Your coach uses HOMA-IR to prioritize metabolic interventions and track their effectiveness. Elevated values trigger comprehensive lifestyle modification including diet overhaul, structured exercise programming, sleep optimization, and stress management. Declining HOMA-IR confirms restored insulin sensitivity before weight or glucose changes substantially, validating intervention success.
Related Signals We Also Review
Fasting glucose, fasting insulin, hemoglobin A1C, triglycerides, TG/HDL ratio, liver enzymes, inflammatory markers, and body composition complete the insulin resistance evaluation.