Your insulin resistance may be in your genes. The indication of a genetic basis comes from studies of identical twins. Different rates of insulin resistance and resulting type 2 diabetes in different ethnic groups also suggest a genetic basis. Although aging used to be considered a factor, medical experts no longer think that aging alone, with no other factors, causes insulin resistance. Lack of exercise.
Physical inactivity can aggravate insulin resistance.
Certain medications, such as glucocorticoids and nicotinic acid, can make insulin resistance worse. Heart Disease A 1996 report in the American Heart Association journal Circulation states that people with insulin resistance are just as likely to develop coronary artery disease as people who have traditional risk factors for heart disease. And Dr. Reaven believes that insulin resistance greatly increases the risk of developing coronary artery disease. You have already seen that insulin resistance is associated with medical conditions that put you more at risk for heart disease. Increasing your blood pressure Blood vessels in the kidneys and throughout the body constrict, or get narrow, resulting in a rise in blood pressure.