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Insulin level measurement in blood tests?

V

vit90

Well-Known Member
The venous blood test for diabetes measures fasting BG and HbA1c plus other markers like blood lipids but is insulin level measured? It seems to me, for T2s in particular, how much insulin you are producing is important. If your HbA1c is OK that's all very well but not if your pancreas is on its last legs producing superhuman amounts of insulin because of insulin resistance. Does the blood test most of us get include insulin level metrics?
 
It doesn't seem to be a standard test run for type 2 diabetes, probably to save money.

I agree with you completely. Long before a type 2's blood glucose levels rise, insulin levels rise.
 
NoCrbs4Me said:
It doesn't seem to be a standard test run for type 2 diabetes, probably to save money.

I agree with you completely. Long before a type 2's blood glucose levels rise, insulin levels rise.
Click to expand...

Would be interested to know if anyone in the UK has successfully applied for a test for insulin levels.
 
I think the main problem with the insulin level test is that it doesn't really tell you anything. Insulin level in your blood will change depending on your diet, your body requirements, etc, etc.
It MAY be indicative of something if the test was being done as a fasting test regularly - to maybe see if it changes. But the number would still change, if you, for example, started exercising more/less than before (as your insulin sensitivity changes), changed diet, lifestyle, ...

Basically, from what I understand, the level of insulin in your blood isn't REALLY indicative of anything.
 
PaulinaB said:
I think the main problem with the insulin level test is that it doesn't really tell you anything. Insulin level in your blood will change depending on your diet, your body requirements, etc, etc.
It MAY be indicative of something if the test was being done as a fasting test regularly - to maybe see if it changes. But the number would still change, if you, for example, started exercising more/less than before (as your insulin sensitivity changes), changed diet, lifestyle, ...

Basically, from what I understand, the level of insulin in your blood isn't REALLY indicative of anything.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure about that. Pre-diabetics may have non-diabetic blood sugar levels but they can have extremely high insulin levels to achieve the normal blood sugar levels. A friend of mine in another country had insulin level measured and this contributed to his diagnosis. Yes I'm sure that you need to time the test in relation to food consumption or fasting but we do that already.
 
I think it would be good if we monitored blood insulin levels in T2s "in the wild" instead of just in the occasional lab experiments. One of the theories about "metabolic syndrome" causing CVD and T2 is that the damage is caused by near permanently elevated blood insulin. This drives the degenerating spiral of health. It's also a key marker in Prof Taylor's theory of how T2 works. So I think it would be a really useful treatment target for T2s. But I guess NICE don't think so or don't think the cost is justified. :-(
 
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