Insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome: mechanisms and consequences.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that diabetes mellitus affected 8.3% of the United States population in 2011. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is insidious; of the 25.8 million persons affected, the CDC indicated that ≈7 million were undiagnosed subjects. The health care costs and burden of diabetes mellitus are substantial; although cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality, other complications such as those in the eye, kidney, and nervous system may greatly impact the quality and span of life. A leading risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus is obesity; obesity rates have risen dramatically in the United States over the past 2 decades. At present, the CDC estimates that 35.7% of Americans are obese. Alarmingly, the rise in obesity in adolescents renders many young people vulnerable to diabetes mellitus and its sequelae.