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Type 2 C-Peptide: can it be recovered?

A

andre53

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C-peptide is a blood exam usually applied for type 2 diabetics to help doctors to decide if they need to add insulin injections for the therapy treatment(1).

Ketogenic diet as type 2 diabetes therapy has helped me so much that I need to tell a doctor I am a T2 patient because blood tests do not show the disease (HbA1c, insulin, and fast blood glucose).

I am at T2 since 2011, but measuring my C-peptide, I've read a surprising 3,44 ng/mL(2) which is by far a healthy number. T2 patients who needs to add insulin injections in their treatment usually show numbers below 0,5 ng/ml.

My question is: if I did not made mistakes in my statements, do you know, nice people if it is possible to recover C-peptide numbers during a ketogenic therapy?

(1) please, feel free to correct me if my statement is wrong
(2) sorry, I don't know european units for this measurement
 
Never had this test, but I believe there’s a study where losing visceral fat can help the pancreas.
 
My understanding is that the c-peptide test is used - alongside other tests - to distinguish between type 1 and type 2 diabetes, rather than to decide on insulin use in type 2s.

A type 1 diagnosis would lead to prescription of insulin.

Most type 2s produce too much insulin as it is not working efficiently due to insulin resistance. A ketogenic diet can help to reduce insulin resistance.
 
Hi @andre53

Your c-peptide shows that you are still an insulin overproducer and so still T2.

Screenshot 2021-10-29 at 09.09.15.png

From here https://www.diabetes.co.uk/c-peptide-test.html

In my view if you have a c-peptide result of 0.5 ng/mL then you are not a T2 but one of the T1 variants.

Your ketogenic diet will definitely help to reduce insulin over production but it may take a long time before completely recovering normal levels.
 
bulkbiker said:
Hi @andre53

Your c-peptide shows that you are still an insulin overproducer and so still T2.

View attachment 51828

From here https://www.diabetes.co.uk/c-peptide-test.html

In my view if you have a c-peptide result of 0.5 ng/mL then you are not a T2 but one of the T1 variants.

Your ketogenic diet will definitely help to reduce insulin over production but it may take a long time before completely recovering normal levels.
Click to expand...
The c-peptide result of less than 0.2 ng/ml (80 pmmol/L) but only in the first 5 years is type 1. After that, you still type 2 when your insulin production falls.

https://www.exeterlaboratory.com/test/c-peptide-plasma/
 
bulkbiker said:
That's one interpretation.
Click to expand...
It's what the specialists are using and it's life-changing for some to get a clear diagnosis:
https://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/featurednews/title_707155_en.html

"Professor Mark Strachan, from Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, said: “We have now measured C-peptide in over 750 people with a clinician-diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes, attending our clinic at the Westen General Hospital. So far, we have made a new diagnosis of genetic diabetes in eight people, and changed the diagnosis to Type 2 diabetes in 28 other people. This has allowed us to make changes to treatment in many of these individuals and in 12 people we have actually been able to stop insulin therapy.”"

@andre53 needs to take medical advice based on his c-peptide but it would be wonderful to possibly not need insulin.
 
ert said:
It's what the specialists are using and it's life-changing for some to get a clear diagnosis:
https://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/featurednews/title_707155_en.html

"Professor Mark Strachan, from Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, said: “We have now measured C-peptide in over 750 people with a clinician-diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes, attending our clinic at the Westen General Hospital. So far, we have made a new diagnosis of genetic diabetes in eight people, and changed the diagnosis to Type 2 diabetes in 28 other people. This has allowed us to make changes to treatment in many of these individuals and in 12 people we have actually been able to stop insulin therapy.”"

@andre53 needs to take medical advice based on his c-peptide but it would be wonderful to possibly not need insulin.
Click to expand...

Amazing how poor the NHS is at diagnosing.

T2's are insulin overproducers and should really never be prescribed yet more but....
 
bulkbiker said:
Amazing how poor the NHS is at diagnosing.

T2's are insulin overproducers and should really never be prescribed yet more but....
Click to expand...
Complex things seem simple to those with a little knowledge, no training and no experience.
 
Mr_Pot said:
Complex things seem simple to those with a little knowledge, no training and no experience.
Click to expand...

Seems to be bourne out by the study results though...

"We have now measured C-peptide in over 750 people with a clinician-diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes, attending our clinic at the Westen General Hospital. So far, we have made a new diagnosis of genetic diabetes in eight people, and changed the diagnosis to Type 2 diabetes in 28 other people. This has allowed us to make changes to treatment in many of these individuals and in 12 people we have actually been able to stop insulin therapy."
 
Daibell said:
Agreed. I can see no difference between someone who is T1 thru antibodies and someone who now has low insulin for whatever reason. Whatever type you use to define them the clinical reason is the surely the same - dead beta cells.
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Under production and over production are the means of distinguishing T1(and its variants) and T2 in my opinion.

T2 is hyperinsulinaemia and it would appear that many doctors are coming to that conclusion.

Shame c-pep is rarely tested or used for diagnosis in the vast majority of cases in the UK at the moment, we can but hope in future it will be used more often.
 
ert said:
The c-peptide result of less than 0.2 ng/ml (80 pmmol/L) but only in the first 5 years is type 1. After that, you still type 2 when your insulin production falls.

https://www.exeterlaboratory.com/test/c-peptide-plasma/
Click to expand...
It actually says unlikely. I would guess low carb or keto may extend the honeymoon especially in a LADA type 1 and they would be the exceptions to the rule. I wouldn’t expect it’s something they come across that often.
 
cpeptide is a molecule that is attached to the insulin molecule so is released at the same time as the insulin.. cpeptide stays in the blood for longer than insulin which is why testing for insulin production cpeptide is normally tested as more cpep means more insulin

so the question is not can cpeptide be recovered... it's whether insulin production can be recovered

and in most cases I would say probably not
 
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