Research
Hormonal
Chronic elevation of the myokine IL-6 in obesity contributes to insulin resistance, contrasting with its acute anti-inflammatory and insulin-sensitizing effects during exercise.
Don't fear all inflammation. Acute spikes in IL-6 from exercise improve insulin sensitivity. However, chronic high levels of IL-6 associated with obesity contribute to insulin resistance. Focus on reducing chronic inflammation through weight management.
GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
However, IL-6 is generally considered proinflammatory and can induce insulin resistance, particularly under chronic conditions related to obesity.
Why this rating
Supported by multiple studies showing increased IL-6 in obesity/T2D and its proinflammatory effects.
Source
Skeletal muscle inflammation and insulin resistance in obesity
Huaizhu Wu et al. · Journal of Clinical Investigation · 2017
DOI 10.1172/jci88880
narrative_reviewCited 670×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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