Insulin resistance is not diabetes, but it is one of the strongest foundations for type 2 diabetes. In insulin resistance, the pancreas can temporarily compensate by producing more insulin, keeping blood glucose in a normal range early on. That is why fasting glucose may look “normal” at first while insulin levels are elevated. Over time, if pancreatic compensation weakens, glucose rises—often progressing from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes. This makes insulin resistance an early, potentially reversible stage of metabolic risk. It can also be part of the metabolic syndrome pattern alongside high triglycerides, low HDL, increased waist circumference, and sometimes elevated blood pressure. In short: not diabetes, but an early warning signal on the pathway toward diabetes.