Description
Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
1. Define insulin Resistance and review the pathophysiology of IR
2. Identify risk factors and common clinical signs of IR
3. Identify diagnostic and clinical criteria used to screen for and diagnose insulin resistance and conditions related to insulin resistance
4. Develop a management and prevention plan: evidence-based treatment strategies for improving insulin sensitivity, encouraging lifestyle modifications, and medication as needed.
5. Identify resources and supports for patients.
Description:
Why should all health care professionals prioritize understanding insulin resistance? Because insulin resistance serves as the foundational driver for a vast spectrum of modern chronic diseases, often remaining “silent” for years before a clinical diagnosis like Type 2 Diabetes is made. Since insulin resistance can manifest with normal blood glucose levels through compensatory hyperinsulinemia, clinicians who recognize early physiological markers, can intervene through lifestyle and pharmacological shifts long before irreversible organ damage occurs. Moreover, insulin resistance is no longer viewed solely as a metabolic hurdle; it is now inextricably linked to cardiovascular disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and even neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. By mastering the mechanisms of insulin sensitivity, healthcare providers can shift from reactive “sick care” to proactive, systemic health management, significantly improving patient longevity and reducing the burden of metabolic syndrome.
Who Should Attend?:
• Nurses in all Hospital settings, acute & critical care, mental health, ambulatory, transition/discharge settings
• Nurses in all community & continuing care settings; primary care, home care, NP led clinics
• New professional staff in Diabetes Clinics
• Dietitians, Occupational Health Care Nurses, Nurse Educators
• All Staff who wish to update their knowledge of Insulin Resistance
Lisa Maks, RN, MN, CDE
Lisa brings 36 years of nursing, with 20 years as a Certified Diabetes Educator in the diabetes field and on her move from Ontario to Vancouver in 2021, has the privilege to be the first Diabetes Clinical Nurse Specialist for Providence Health Care in Vancouver, BC and the only one in the province. The Diabetes CNS role includes providing expert consultation to prescribers, leadership, education and leading quality improvement projects and research. She makes change at a systems level to provide evidence-based improvements to diabetes management for the people we serve. She’s also had academic ties as an Associate Clinical Professor with McMaster University School of Nursing in Hamilton, Ontario since 2008 and is currently an Adjunct Professor at University of British Columbia. She has presented nationally for 20 years speaking on diabetes-related topics. She is passionate about diabetes management and has worked in a variety of settings from in-patient, out-patient to the community.
