Ask the Diabetes Educator Archive

5/10/04

Q:
I have PCOS with insulin resistance. I am on metformin and aldactone. My blood test shows my blood sugar to be 95 but my insulin is elevated. I was told not to worry about it. What is the difference between blood sugar levels and insulin levels?

A:
It is insulin's job to get sugar out of the blood stream and into the cells. With what you are reporting, you are 5 points away from being classed with "pre-diabetes" (100). The fact that your insulin levels are high means that you do release sugar more frequently into your blood stream. This usually is a combination of food and stress. Have you made real dietary changes? There are many tips in our Archives section to assist you with this. As for stress, it signals the liver to go through a sugar-releasing process. With a true whole foods eating plan, regular exercise and supportive nutritionals, other woman have managed to return to normal menses and elevated moods without further need of medications. It is not a "given" that this would be your path, but certainly initiating appropriate lifestyle changes is the first step.