[Insulin resistance: pathophysiologic mechanisms, methods of assessment and clinical implications]

In the past years remarkable increase in knowledge of the mechanisms of insulin resistance has been made. Interest for the insulin resistance has been heightened by it's prevalence, and by the fact that it has a key role in pathogenesis of obesity, diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, polycystic ovary disease. In this review we discuss current concepts of the mechanisms of insulin resistance, methods for the assessment as well as its implications for a variety of disorders in human beings.