Which mechanism is described as improving insulin sensitivity?

• A. Improve insulin secretion
• B. Improve insulin sensitivity
• C. Delay carb absorption
• D. Mimic incretin hormones

Answer: (B)

Improving insulin sensitivity means making body tissues respond more effectively to insulin, so glucose is taken up into muscle and fat more easily and the liver doesn’t produce as much glucose. Medications that do this, like metformin and thiazolidinediones, work by enhancing how the body uses insulin—metformin lowers hepatic glucose production and helps peripheral tissues take up glucose more efficiently, while TZDs increase insulin sensitivity in fat and muscle.

The other mechanisms describe different actions: increasing insulin secretion raises the amount of insulin released rather than changing tissue responsiveness; delaying carbohydrate absorption slows how quickly glucose enters the bloodstream but doesn’t make tissues respond better to insulin; mimicking incretin hormones mainly boosts insulin secretion and can influence gastric emptying, rather than directly enhancing tissue sensitivity.