Hyperinsulinemia is one of the risks of cancer, this is a sign

Cancer is a chronic disease characterized by the presence of abnormal cells that damage the body and develop malignantly. Research in the last decade has shown that hyperinsulinemia is one of the main factors that can increase your risk of developing cancer.

What is hyperinsulinemia?

Insulin itself is a hormone the body needs to keep blood sugar levels within normal limits. Insulin is only released for a certain amount of time and when sugar levels need to be balanced. Excess insulin levels in the blood occur when the pancreas produces more insulin than usual to balance blood sugar levels. This triggers a condition of insulin resistance, where the body no longer responds to normal insulin levels.

If it occurs for a long time, the pancreas will continue to produce insulin in greater amounts until it becomes malfunctioning. At the same time, insulin levels in the blood will remain high and cause hyperinsulinemia.

Simply put, hyperinsulinemia is a condition in which the body has insulin levels that are too high. Hyperinsulinemia is a major characteristic of pre-diabetes conditions, but can also occur in individuals who are obese or even in people who look healthy.

Both conditions of insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia are closely related to metabolic syndrome such as early and advanced symptoms of diabetes, obesity and accumulation of fat around the stomach and lifestyle factors such as inactivity and consumption patterns, and the use of the hormone insulin injection is also a potential cause of hyperinsulinemia. In some rare cases, excess insulin in the blood can also be caused by a tumor that grows on cells that produce the hormone insulin, known as an insuloma and a genetic disease called nesidioblastosis that triggers excess insulin secretion due to abnormalities in the cells in the pancreas.

What are the consequences if you have hyperinsulinemia?

The effects of acute hyperinsulinemia will cause several symptoms, including:

Cravings for sugary foods
Hunger easily
Increase in weight
Difficulty concentrating and easily lose focus
Tend to feel anxious and panic
Chronic fatigue

Meanwhile, hyperinsulinemia for a long time will trigger chronic inflammation which can cause damage to organs, especially the pancreas gland. Apart from being a trigger for the development of diabetes mellitus, insulin resistance and uncontrolled hyperinsulinemia can increase the risk of developing cancer.

How can hyperinsulinemia trigger the growth of cancer cells?

Hyperinsulinemia is one of the factors that trigger cancer. Chances are, this condition can affect the development of abnormal tumor cells to become cancerous through an inflammatory process that lasts for a long time.

The change in tumor cells into cancer is strongly influenced by inflammation which can make it easier for tumor cells to spread and develop. This happens more easily when insulin levels in the blood tend to be high for a long time, such as when someone is obese and diabetes. There are two ways in which hyperinsulinemia can lead to cancer development.

Accelerate cancer growth - excess insulin in the blood will directly increase the serum concentration of insulin, C-peptide and protein insulin growth factor (IGF) which is mitogenic, so it can trigger tumor or cancer cells to grow and differentiate faster. In addition, an increase in IGF is also known to worsen the prognosis of cancer, thereby increasing the risk of death from cancer.
Lowering abnormal cell inhibitor proteins - Hyperinsulinemia can also reduce the amount of sex hormone binding globulin, resulting in an increase in estrogen which can cause tumor inflammation. This is also followed by a decrease in the amount of adiponectin protein which plays a role in preventing abnormal cell growth, as a result, abnormal cells from cancer will develop more easily.

Types of tumors and cancers that can be triggered by hyperinsulinemia

In several studies conducted in 2007 and 2008 the condition of excess insulin can increase the risk of endometrial cancer, colorectal cancer and prostate cancer. All three types of cancer are associated with increased levels of C-peptide as a result of hyperinsulinemia. In other studies in 2006 and 2009 found an increased risk of colorectal and pancreatic cancer due to hyperinsulinemia conditions triggered by the use of insulin hormone therapy. Breast cancer is also known to be a type of cancer caused by hyperinsulinemia as a result of inflammation insulin growth factor (IGF) which is triggered by diabetes and obesity.