The condition, called Acanthosis Nigricans (AN), is marked by the darkening and thickening of the skin on the sides or back of the neck, the armpits, under the breast, and groin.
Acanthosis Nigricans is a skin condition that signals high insulin levels in the body.
Acanthosis Nigricans is important because these markings can help identify persons who run the risk of developing diabetes in the future.
Once identified, the necessary measures to lower the insulin levels and reduce the risk of developing diabetes can be taken.
Similarly, the acanthosis nigricans markers will begin to fade.
Acanthosis nigricans is a skin manifestation of insulin resistance and an early indication of diabetes," says Dr Anoop Misra, professor of medicine at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.
Dr. Misra's study followed adult patients with acanthosis nigricans who had no history of diabetes and discover that 58% of the patients reviewed had the metabolic syndrome. In fact 24% had full-blown diabetes.
All were clueless about their diabetic status.
Who is Dr. Anoop Misra?
Dr Misra is considered as a lead researcher internationally for insulin resistance, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia and obesity in the Indian population. He has substantially contributed to the understanding of the mechanisms, prevention and management of obesity and diabetes mellitus in Indians by publishing more than 100 papers in the international journals, and debating on important issues in the International conferences. He has worked as the World Health Organization fellow at Royal Free Medical School, London and University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. He also worked as faculty in Internal Medicine and Endocrinology at the prestigious University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.
Comment: It's good to have an early sign of high insulin levels but considering that in most cases, a low carb diet will keep insulin levels low, why wait for symptoms to start to show?
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