Which condition is associated with obesity, dyslipidemia, hyperinsulinemia, hypertension, fatigue, genital pruritus, blurred vision, recurrent infections, prolonged wound healing, neuropathy, paresthesias, and acanthosis nigricans?

• A. Type 2 diabetes mellitus
• B. Gout
• C. Hyperparathyroidism
• D. Chronic kidney disease

Answer: (A)

The pattern here centers on insulin resistance and its wide-reaching effects, which define type 2 diabetes mellitus. Obesity, dyslipidemia, and hypertension form the metabolic syndrome cluster that drives insulin resistance, with the pancreas initially producing more insulin (hyperinsulinemia) to compensate. As blood glucose remains elevated, symptoms like fatigue and blurred vision appear, and high glucose environments foster genital candidiasis and recurrent infections with slowed wound healing. Long-standing hyperglycemia damages nerves, leading to neuropathy and paresthesias. Acanthosis nigricans is a skin marker of insulin resistance, tying this whole picture together. The other conditions don’t align with this combination of insulin-resistance–driven features; for instance, gout centers on uric acid crystals, hyperparathyroidism on calcium-related symptoms, and chronic kidney disease presents with kidney-specific signs rather than the full insulin-resistance–diabetes spectrum. This makes type 2 diabetes mellitus the best fit.