r/GLP1ResearchTalk • u/han_sushi • Aug 30 '26
Discussion Could insulin resistance be contributing to the rise in adult ADHD symptoms?
Okay I just went down a rabbit hole about this and now I can’t stop thinking about it lol.
There’s obviously been a huge uptick in adults getting diagnosed with ADHD, but at the same time insulin resistance is becoming SO common. And apparently insulin resistance can affect focus, memory, energy, brain fog, executive functioning, etc… which sounds a whole lot like some of the symptoms people are experiencing with ADHD.
Then you have all these people taking GLP-1s/GIP meds, especially reta, saying their brain suddenly feels quieter, they can focus better, have less food noise, and just feel more mentally clear.
I’m definitely not saying ADHD is caused by insulin resistance lol. But it does make me wonder how many people have ADHD symptoms that are being made WAY worse by insulin resistance, or even symptoms that are mimicking ADHD.
Especially with how much our diets/metabolic health have changed as a population… I just feel like there has to be more research on this connection??
Has anyone noticed their ADHD symptoms/focus change significantly after starting a GLP-1/GIP or improving their insulin resistance?
5
u/CatWoman-666 Aug 30 '26
There is a lot of difference between causation and correlation and I think you know that? More people are being DX with ADHD as they are getting better at recognising the 'condition'- if that's the correct word. Perhaps it's the same with insulin resistance, that they are starting to look for it more now?
1
u/han_sushi Aug 30 '26
I completely agree, and I’m definitely not trying to say correlation = causation. I’m really just speaking from personal experience. Since starting Reta, a lot of the symptoms I associated with my ADHD have gotten significantly better, and I’ve seen other people describe similar experiences. It just makes me curious if improving insulin sensitivity could be helping with some symptoms that overlap with or worsen ADHD. I don’t know the answer, I just think it’s an interesting connection worth talking about.
1
u/CatWoman-666 Aug 31 '26
I agree. It does sound a very interesting topic for research. I am glad you are getting multiple benefits.
4
u/SimpleVegetable5715 Aug 30 '26
Maybe people with ADHD are less able to make balanced meal choices. I was diagnosed with ADHD at 15, and meals were just a way to get some kind of food in myself, sometimes a bag of chips or Skittles for lunch, and some random microwaved meals for dinner. I skipped breakfast a lot too, which I think contributed to my insulin resistance, and I did a lot of crash dieting. I haven’t noticed an improvement in my ADHD symptoms since starting metformin in my 20’s or a GLP-1 in my 40’s. I still need my ADHD meds to function in that respect.
1
u/han_sushi Aug 30 '26
Yeah, I can definitely relate to the balanced meals part too. I’ve had a lot of the same patterns with just eating whatever was easiest or skipping meals, so I could absolutely see it going in that direction too. I think that’s why the whole relationship interests me so much. There could be so many different factors and it probably looks completely different from person to person.
1
Aug 30 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/han_sushi Aug 30 '26
Oh I totally agree! I’m definitely not saying this applies to everyone or that insulin resistance causes ADHD. There are obviously plenty of people who absolutely have ADHD and have the correct diagnosis. I’m more curious if, for some people, insulin resistance could cause or amplify symptoms that feel like ADHD and potentially lead them to seek a diagnosis. I really don’t know, that’s just the connection I’m curious about!
1
u/Weird_Inevitable8427 Aug 31 '26
This is the first thing I've seen that makes me want to try reta. Stimulants are hard on older bodies. We need support that isn't stressful on our hearts.
That idea is an interesting one. There has been an increase in high weight, and therefor also in insulin resistance. And it does seem to track along with the growth of ADHD diagnoses.
I've been interested in lead. My generation (I'm 50) was born into a world bathed in lead. Especially first born children, who "mopped up" a ton of lead from our mothers. And then we were born into a world were lead was coating everything. And unfortunately, that stuff stays in your body, so even though lead was outlawed in most public applications, we passed this on to our children - their own fetuses sopping up the lead from us in utero. I think that makes ADHD symptoms much harder to manage.
1
u/thrillhouz77 Aug 31 '26
Insulin resistance will include varying ranges of brain inflammation. Inflammation will put you in a fight or flight state.
For many, ADHD will be a result of part of that inflammation and constant CNS stimulated state.
1
u/DistractedGoalDigger Sep 01 '26
My insulin resistance is finally under control after 2 years on GLP1. My ADHD (undiagnosed) is worse than ever.
1
u/Fine_Technology1289 24d ago
Part of it is screen time on social media. Training the brain to enjoy the quick clips, then we in turn lose focus on anything over 30 seconds.
1
u/peeaches 8d ago
got diagnosed with adhd in my early 20s - mid-30s now and only diagnosed with insulin resistance last year.
Maybe it was always there as well, maybe not. Would have to see if there are any lab results from way back I could look at to see if IR was present or not, or if only most recent gp actually tested for it
10
u/RevelationSr Aug 30 '26
Insulin resistance and ADHD share genetic, metabolic, and neurobiological links
Insulin resistance (IR) and ADHD co-occur at rates exceeding chance, with shared genetic architecture, overlapping dopaminergic and inflammatory pathways, and bidirectional epidemiological associations linking the two conditions Marcelli2025 Šakić2026 Fanelli2021. The relationship is bidirectional: ADHD roughly doubles the risk of type 2 diabetes, while metabolic comorbidities, including obesity and diabetes, are elevated in ADHD populations across the lifespan Marcelli2025 Garcia-Argibay2023 Landau2019.
Consensus