Insulin resistance and diabetes are not the same thing, but these medical issues are closely related. With insulin resistance, the body stops responding normally to the hormone insulin. This leads to a buildup of blood sugar. If left unchecked, insulin resistance commonly leads to type 2 diabetes (T2DM).

When you eat carbohydrates, your body converts them into glucose—the sugar that serves as your body’s primary energy source. The hormone insulin helps move glucose into the cells.

Insulin resistance is a condition that keeps the body from using the insulin that it does produce in a proper manner. Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that helps the body use glucose for energy. In the form of sugar, glucose is the main source of energy for the body.

Insulin shock is considered a very severe medical condition that requires prompt medical attention. This is a life-threatening situation in which someone’s blood sugar levels drop to dangerously low levels—resulting in unconsciousness and shock.

Insulin-dependent diabetics take insulin injections because their pancreas no longer produces insulin. Insulin helps cells absorb glucose, the body’s main energy source, from the blood.