Puberty can significantly alter epigenetic mechanisms in the body, affecting whether a teenager’s insulin resistance increases or, conversely, decreases. This conclusion was reached by researchers who studied DNA methylation changes in children transitioning from childhood to adolescence. The results were published in the journal Cardiovascular Diabetology.

Insulin resistance is a condition in which the body’s cells respond less effectively to insulin and absorb glucose more poorly. It is one of the key factors in the development of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. In children, it is often associated with obesity and can persist into adulthood.

The study was part of the PUBMEP project, which followed Spanish children from prepubertal age through puberty. Researchers analyzed metabolic markers, insulin and glucose levels, as well as epigenetic changes—primarily DNA methylation, which regulates gene activity.

The analysis showed that puberty represents an important “window” for shaping future metabolic risks. In some adolescents, changes in DNA methylation were accompanied by increased insulin resistance, while in others, it decreased. Scientists identified about 120 DNA regions where epigenetic changes were associated with these different trajectories of metabolic development.

Interestingly, worsening insulin resistance was linked to higher levels of DNA methylation, whereas improvements were more often associated with decreased methylation in the same regions. Some of the identified epigenetic markers were located in genes involved in metabolic regulation, vascular signaling, and cellular responses to oxygen levels.

Moreover, some of these epigenetic changes were associated not only with insulin resistance but also with other cardiometabolic risk factors, such as elevated blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and fat accumulation. This suggests that the same molecular mechanisms may underlie multiple metabolic disorders simultaneously.

According to the researchers, these findings indicate that adolescence may be a critical period for the prevention of future diseases. Detecting metabolism-related epigenetic changes at an early stage could help identify children at higher risk of diabetes and other metabolic disorders, allowing preventive measures to be implemented much earlier.