To prevent hyperinsulinism, attention must be paid to reducing individual risk factors.
Behavioral risk factors
- Diet
- High-carbohydrate diet (mainly of glucose and sucrose (sugar); e.g., also consumption of soft drinks with sugar).
- High-fat diet (saturated fat)Note: A flavored palm oil drink led to a reduction in insulin sensitivity or insulin resistance, as well as increased fat storage and changes in liver energy metabolism.
- Excess food energy
- Consumption of stimulants
- Tobacco (smoking)
- Physical activity
- Lack of physical activity (lack of exercise).
- Psycho-social situation
- Sleep deprivation
- Stress
- Overweight (BMI ≥ 25; obesity).
- Android body fat distribution, that is, abdominal/visceral, truncal, central body fat (apple type) – high waist circumference or waist-to-hip ratio (THQ; waist-to-hip ratio (WHR)) is presentWhen measuring waist circumference according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF, 2005) guideline, the following standard values apply:
- Men < 94 cm
- Women < 80 cm
The German Obesity Society published somewhat more moderate figures for waist circumference in 2006: < 102 cm for men and < 88 cm for women.
- Intentional overdose of insulin (= hypoglycaemia factitia; clinical picture in which there is a deliberate lowering of blood sugar (hypoglycemia) by targeted self-administration of blood sugar-lowering agents (mainly sulfonylureas)).