If chronic insulin resistance develops despite sufficient insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells, which cellular mechanism explains why circulating glucose levels remain elevated, particularly affecting GLUT4-dependent tissues?

💡 Explanation

In insulin resistance, the insulin signaling pathway is impaired, especially in tissues like muscle and adipose that rely on GLUT4. Reduced GLUT4 translocation to the cell membrane means that glucose cannot be effectively taken up into cells, because the insulin-mediated signal is blocked; therefore, glucose remains in the circulation, rather than the suppression of glucagon secretion, which is a secondary effect.

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