Hormone resistance syndromes are typically thought of as rare, usually genetic, disorders with a severe but relatively stereotyped clinical and biochemical profile. While there are syndromes of severe insulin resistance that conform to this description, defective insulin action is of much more pervasive biomedical importance. Even moderate degrees of insulin resistance are closely linked to a range of common diseases, including Type 2 diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome, obesity and hypertension
