What role does Insulin play in Wechseljahre?

Insulin plays a key metabolic role during menopause. Declining estrogen levels reduce insulin sensitivity in muscle and fat tissue, often leading to compensatory hyperinsulinemia and increased risk of type 2 diabetes and central weight gain. Visceral fat accumulation further worsens insulin resistance. This is well-documented in human physiology and cohort studies, but not directly addressed in the provided DNA or blood test contexts. Consumer genetic tests for insulin-related SNPs (e.g., PPARGC1A Gly482Ser) show only weak, population-dependent associations and are not clinically predictive. Lifestyle interventions – especially resistance training, adequate protein, and low-glycemic diets – have stronger evidence for improving insulin sensitivity during menopause. Blood markers like fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, or HbA1c can be useful but require medical interpretation. Caveat: menopause-related insulin changes are gradual and vary widely; no single test can diagnose or predict them reliably.