Low-carb Lab Testing – Part 2 – Fasting Insulin Test
This is the second installment in a series of articles exploring pertinent lab tests for people following low-carb diets, and how a slightly different perspective is needed when interpreting the results compared to results from people following high-carb diets. In the previous post in this series, we looked at three measurements related to blood glucose: fasting glucose, hemoglobin A1c, and fructosamine. We left off saying that while these are important to monitor regularly, they offer a limited view of a much larger metabolic control system. Blood glucose, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and fructosamine indicate only what’s happening with blood glucose. They reveal nothing about insulin, which we will explore in this post. Knowing your numbers is an important step for anyone who wants to transform their health. Heads Up Health was designed to empower you to manage all of your health data, including your lab test results, in one secure location. You can learn more on our homepage or by clicking below to create your account and start building your own centralized health portfolio. The Fasting Insulin Test We said it last time, and it’s worth repeating: A fasting insulin test is the most important test your doctor probably isn’t ordering. The reason it’s so important to track insulin is that in many cases, fasting glucose and A1c remain normal due to chronically elevated insulin—that is, sky-high insulin is keeping the glucose “in check.” Fasting glucose and HbA1c are often the last things to rise, and they become elevated only after one of two things has happened: The pancreas can no longer pump out the inordinate amounts of insulin required to keep blood glucose within a safe range (sometimes called “beta cell burnout”). This is relatively rare, except in typ Continue reading >>
Fasting Tests Of Insulin Secretion And Sensitivity Predict Future Prediabetes In Japanese With Normal Glucose Tolerance
Fasting tests of insulin secretion and sensitivity predict future prediabetes in Japanese with normal glucose tolerance 3Department of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka 6Epidemiologic Research Information Center and Department of Medicine, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System 2Laboratory for Systems Biology and Medicine, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 6Epidemiologic Research Information Center and Department of Medicine, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System 7Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA 1Department of Diabetes and Metabolism, the Institute for Adult Diseases, Asahi Life Foundation 2Laboratory for Systems Biology and Medicine, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 3Department of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka 4Division of Internal Medicine, Hitachi General Hospital, Ibaraki 5Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Yokohama Sakae Kyosai Hospital, Yokohama, Japan 6Epidemiologic Research Information Center and Department of Medicine, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System 7Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA * Corresponding author. Yukiko Onishi Tel.: +81332016781 Fax: +81332016881 Email address: pj.ro.efil-ihasa@ihsinho-y Copyright 2010 Asian Association for the Study of Diabetes and Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd This article has been cited by other articles in PMC. Aims/Introduction: Reduced insulin sensitivity and secretion are important in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. Their relationships to prediabetes, impaired Continue reading >>
How Long To Fast Before A Blood Test
Fasting before a blood test is important to obtain accurate readings. When you consume food, your body has to process the food's components as they travel through your bloodstream. Blood tests examine a variety of blood and sugar levels that can be compromised if foreign entities, such as food, contaminate blood, painting an inaccurate picture. Fasting beforehand allows the physician to obtain a clear picture of your bodily functions for an accurate diagnosis. Fasting before a blood test is typically required for fasting glucose, fasting lipid panel, fasting metabolic panel, fasting cholesterol, HDL or triglyceride tests. These tests look for cholesterol and glucose levels in your blood, and any food consumed before the test will provide an inaccurate reading. Your doctor may recommend a certain time period for fasting; however, the standard amount of time is about eight to 12 hours of no food before having blood drawn. Schedule your blood test for early in the morning so you'll only need to fast overnight to meet requirements. Fast for eight hours before a glucose test. The test is typically conducted in the morning while your body is still in a resting place for a more accurate reading. You must fast at least 12 hours before taking a cholesterol blood test to get an accurate reading on triglycerides. The American Heart Association warns against quick cholesterol tests you find in malls and health fairs because fasting is imperative to obtaining an accurate result. Stay hydrated and drink plenty of water. Take any medication that your doctor prescribed to you except for corticosteroids, estrogen or androgens, oral contraceptives, some diuretics, anti-psychotic medications including haloperidol, some antibiotics and niacin. Do not smoke, drink any other liquid than wate Continue reading >>
Fasting Insulin Test Take 2
Diabetes Forum The Global Diabetes Community Find support, ask questions and share your experiences. Join the community Trotted along to the surgery this morning for blood draw for Cholesterol test and HbA1c and asked the only phlebotomist to ever successfully stab me first time to fill up the vial for Medichecks. She was fine filling it up and even filled in the details on the vial for me. She was also quite interested in why i was having it done. However she seemed to have never heard of the test which was a little disappointing. Will post off today and should get the results in a couple of days. Rachox Type 2 (in remission!) Well-Known Member Just looked at their website, which test have you chosen to have done? Fingers crossed for you, though I suspect you don't need it. Rachox Type 2 (in remission!) Well-Known Member I thought thatd be it! I hope they explain the result or that you already understand the significance of the numbers, as I wouldnt have a clue whats normal! I thought thatd be it! I hope they explain the result or that you already understand the significance of the numbers, as I wouldnt have a clue whats normal! As the test is not done much, no one has a clue what's normal over a large number of people. But we do know from reseach studies the range that people without diabets get. I expect it is most useful to track chanes over time. Well yes.. Its meant to be ok at between 2 and 6 micro units per millilitre (mIU/ml) last one was 3.41 so fingers crossed we'll get a repeat of something like that. Some people say under 5 is better. 0 would be an untreated Type 1 (ie no insulin whatsoever) so lower is not always better for this test. 0 would be an untreated Type 1 (ie no insulin whatsoever) so lower is not always better for this test. Thats way it needs Continue reading >>
Blood Glucose Test
What is a blood glucose test? A blood glucose test measures the amount of glucose in your blood. Glucose, a type of simple sugar, is your body’s main source of energy. Your body converts the carbohydrates you eat into glucose. Glucose testing is primarily done to check for type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes. Diabetes is a condition that causes your blood glucose level to rise. The amount of sugar in your blood is usually controlled by a hormone called insulin. However, if you have diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or the insulin produced doesn’t work properly. This causes sugar to build up in your blood. Increased levels of blood sugar can lead to severe organ damage if left untreated. In some cases, blood glucose testing may also be used to test for hypoglycemia. This condition occurs when the levels of glucose in your blood are too low. Watch a great review of the iHealth blood glucose meter » Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and teenagers whose bodies aren’t able to produce enough insulin. It’s a chronic, or long-term, condition that requires continuous treatment. Late-onset type 1 diabetes has been shown to affect people between the ages of 30 and 40. Type 2 diabetes is usually diagnosed in overweight and obese adults, but it can develop in younger people as well. This condition occurs when your body doesn’t make enough insulin or when the insulin you produce doesn’t work properly. The impact of type 2 diabetes may be reduced through weight loss and healthy eating. Gestational diabetes occurs if you develop diabetes while you’re pregnant. Gestational diabetes usually goes away after you give birth. After receiving a diagnosis of diabetes, you may have to get blood glucose tests to determin Continue reading >>
- Home blood glucose test: How to test for diabetes at home
- Postprandial Blood Glucose Is a Stronger Predictor of Cardiovascular Events Than Fasting Blood Glucose in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Particularly in Women: Lessons from the San Luigi Gonzaga Diabetes Study
- When Youre Afraid to Test: The Root of Diabetes Test Anxiety
Fasting Physiology – Part Ii
There are many misconceptions about fasting. It is useful to review the physiology of what happens to our body when we eat nothing. Physiology Glucose and fat are the body’s main sources of energy. If glucose is not available, then the body will adjust by using fat, without any detrimental health effects. This is simply a natural part of life. Periods of low food availability have always been a part of human history. Mechanisms have evolved to adapt to this fact of Paleolithic life. The transition from the fed state to the fasted state occurs in several stages. Feeding – During meals, insulin levels are raised. This allows uptake of glucose into tissues such as the muscle or brain to be used directly for energy. Excess glucose is stored as glycogen in the liver. The post-absorptive phase – 6-24 hours after beginning fasting. Insulin levels start to fall. Breakdown of glycogen releases glucose for energy. Glycogen stores last for roughly 24 hours. Gluconeogenesis – 24 hours to 2 days – The liver manufactures new glucose from amino acids in a process called “gluconeogenesis”. Literally, this is translated as “making new glucose”. In non-diabetic persons, glucose levels fall but stay within the normal range. Ketosis – 2-3 days after beginning fasting – The low levels of insulin reached during fasting stimulate lipolysis, the breakdown of fat for energy. The storage form of fat, known as triglycerides, is broken into the glycerol backbone and three fatty acid chains. Glycerol is used for gluconeogenesis. Fatty acids may be used for directly for energy by many tissues in the body, but not the brain. Ketone bodies, capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier, are produced from fatty acids for use by the brain. After four days of fasting, approximately 75 Continue reading >>
Fasting Blood Sugar: Normal Levels And Testing
Fasting blood sugar provides vital clues about how the body is managing blood sugar levels. Blood sugar tends to peak about an hour after eating, and declines after that. High fasting blood sugar levels point to insulin resistance or diabetes. Abnormally low fasting blood sugar could be due to diabetes medications. Knowing when to test and what to look for can help keep people with, or at risk of, diabetes healthy. What are fasting blood sugar levels? Following a meal, blood sugar levels rise, usually peaking about an hour after eating. How much blood sugar rises by and the precise timing of the peak depends on diet. Large meals tend to trigger larger blood sugar rises. High-sugar carbohydrates, such as bread and sweetened snacks, also cause more significant blood sugar swings. Normally, as blood sugar rises, the pancreas releases insulin. Insulin lowers blood sugar, breaking it down so that the body can use it for energy or store it for later. However, people who have diabetes have difficulties with insulin in the following ways: People with type 1 diabetes do not produce enough insulin because the body attacks insulin-producing cells. People with type 2 diabetes do not respond well to insulin and, later, may not make enough insulin. In both cases, the result is the same: elevated blood sugar levels and difficulties using sugar. This means that fasting blood sugar depends on three factors: the contents of the last meal the size of the last meal the body's ability to produce and respond to insulin Blood sugar levels in between meals offer a window into how the body manages sugar. High levels of fasting blood sugar suggest that the body has been unable to lower the levels of sugar in the blood. This points to either insulin resistance or inadequate insulin production, an Continue reading >>
Insulin Lab Test
WHAT IS AN INSULIN LAB TEST? The Insulin lab test includes a blood test to measure Insulin production. HOW MUCH DOES AN INSULIN LAB TEST COST? $79.00 *Price may vary by location – contact your local ANY LAB TEST NOW® IS FASTING REQUIRED FOR AN INSULIN LAB TEST? Yes, fasting for at least 8 hours is required for the Insulin Test. DESCRIPTION: Insulin is produced by the pancreas and used by the body to transport and convert glucose throughout the body into usable energy. Issues with the pancreas including diabetes or a pancreatic tumor can prevent the pancreas from producing the correct amount of insulin to maintain proper glucose levels. Too much insulin causes hypoglycemia, or low glucose levels, while too little, or resistance to, insulin, which is often caused by type 2 diabetes, leads to extremely high levels of glucose. Either situation can lead to severe health issues. Excess insulin production may be due to an insulin producing tumor (insulinoma) and can cause low glucose levels leading to convulsions or loss of consciousness. Acute or chronic symptoms of low blood sugar include sweating, confusion, blurred vision, hunger, fainting or heart palpitations. Insulin resistance, which is associated with type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, prediabetes, heart disease and polycystic ovarian syndrome (POCS), can lead to extremely high glucose levels in the body. Long term blood sugar levels that are too high cause severe health problems associated with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes including blindness, neuropathy that can lead to foot and leg amputations and cardiovascular disease. The pancreatic system in those with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes becomes damaged over time and is unable to utilize insulin properly. Known as insulin resistance, this condition can be im Continue reading >>
Do You Know Your Insulin Level?
People often keep close watch on their glucose numbers. But how many of us know our insulin level? Dr. Joseph Mercola says fasting insulin is “the number that may best predict your sudden death.” Sounds important. But what does it mean? Our bodies need some circulating insulin at all times, even when we don’t eat. Otherwise, our livers keep making glucose and dumping it into the blood. Livers do this to prevent blood glucose from going too low. So a fasting insulin level should never be 0, which it might be in a person with untreated Type 1. It shouldn’t go below 3. But a high insulin level is just as problematic. A high insulin level is a sign of insulin resistance or prediabetes. It can also signify early-stage Type 2. According to Dr. Mercola, too much insulin promotes weight gain by storing fat. It promotes insulin resistance, lowers magnesium levels, and increases inflammation. It also tends to lower HDL (“good”) cholesterol and raise levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. All of these increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease. It may be that high insulin levels come before insulin resistance and help cause it. If you already have diabetes, why should you know your insulin level? Mainly, it helps diagnose what is happening with you. Your blood glucose may be high, but how much of the problem is too little insulin? How much is insulin resistance? A fasting insulin level test is valuable in several situations: • Diagnosing prediabetes and metabolic syndrome. “Prediabetes” is one result of insulin resistance. Insulin resistance causes high cholesterol, high glucose, and high blood pressure. A high level of fasting insulin indicates insulin resistance and can encourage a person to make changes to lower it. • Separating Type 2 from LADA (latent Continue reading >>
What Does My Fasting Insulin Level Mean?
I have not been diagnosed with diabetes but recently my doctor had me take a fasting insulin blood test. The results came back with a 24.7. It was on the portal that I can log into to see my results and I can't get a hold of the doctors office for a few days. What does this mean? A fasting insulin level is not very useful, and doesn't really tell one much. It may be an indicator of insulin resistance, but it isn't the ideal test. The ideal test is a complex test done using an insulin and glucose infusions. The likely cause of a raised insulin is being overweight, and the clinical features of this are skin tags around the neck and upper body or acanthosis(darkness around the neck).Insulin resistance can be improved with weight loss, and is not a cause for weight gain The information provided does not constitute a diagnosis of your condition. You should consult a medical practitioner or other appropriate health care professional for a physical exmanication, diagnosis and formal advice. Health24 and the expert accept no responsibility or liability for any damage or personal harm you may suffer resulting from making use of this content. Continue reading >>
Insulin C-peptide Test
What is an insulin C-peptide test? Insulin is the hormone that is primarily responsible for lowering glucose levels in the blood, also called blood sugar. Insulin is produced by specialized cells in the pancreas called beta cells. When we eat, our bodies begin to break food down into glucose and other nutrients. In response, the pancreas produces insulin, which allows cells to absorb glucose from the blood. C-peptide is a byproduct created when insulin is produced. Measuring the amount of C-peptide in blood indicates how much insulin is being produced. Generally, high C-peptide production indicates high insulin production, and vice versa. The insulin C-peptide test is used to monitor insulin production in the body. The test can give doctors a lot of information about what is happening in your body. It can be used to: determine the cause of hypoglycemia, also called low blood sugar reveal how much insulin the pancreas is producing in a person newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes distinguish between type 1 and type 2 diabetes, if the doctor is not sure which type of diabetes is present provide information about how well the beta cells in the pancreas are working The test may also be performed on patients who experience symptoms related to hypoglycemia in the absence of type 1 or type 2 diabetes. In this case, the body may be producing too much insulin. Symptoms of hypoglycemia include: sweating heart palpitations excessive hunger nervousness or irritability confusion blurred vision fainting seizures and/or loss of consciousness The preparation needed for the insulin C-peptide test depends on a person’s age and the reason for the test. In some instances, you may be required to fast for up to 12 hours before the test. Fasting requires that you to not eat or drink anything Continue reading >>
Fasting For Medical Tests
You may be asked to fast by your doctor or nurse. For some medical tests, fasting beforehand gives a more accurate result. For other tests or operations, you need to fast for safety reasons. Your doctor can tell you what to do to prepare for your test. What is fasting? Fasting means not eating and only drinking sips of water. If you are fasting, you can't drink fruit juice, soft drink, coffee, tea or milk, and you can't eat or suck on lollies and chewing gum. Fasting for tests Fasting for blood tests A fasting blood test is usually done in the morning after you have fasted for 8 to 16 hours. Fasting for a gastroscopy You need to fast for 6 hours before a gastroscopy. This is to lower the risk of vomiting up and inhaling what's in your stomach. It also gives the doctor a clear view inside the stomach and intestine. Fasting for a colonoscopy Before a colonoscopy, you eat a low-fibre diet for 2 to 3 days, and have only clear fluids the day before, such as black coffee, apple juice, water or clear jellies. If you have diabetes, make sure you get the right amount of glucose in these fluids. The day before, you also take a medicine to empty your bowel. Finally, for several hours before the procedure you need to fast. Fasting before an anaesthetic If you are being sedated or having a general anaesthetic, your doctor will ask you to stop eating several hours beforehand. You can have small amounts of clear fluids up to 2 hours before. Special considerations for fasting Medication Keep taking your medication as usual before a test, unless your doctor instructs you otherwise. Some medications need to be stopped, so be sure to tell your doctor everything you are taking. Diabetes If you are diabetic and you need to fast: check your blood sugar regularly (every 2 hours for example) y Continue reading >>
Fasting Blood Sugar Levels
Tweet Fasting, as the name suggests, means refraining from eating of drinking any liquids other than water for eight hours. It is used as a test for diabetes. After fasting, a carbohydrate metabolism test is conducted which measures blood glucose levels. Glucagon during fasting When fasting the hormone glucagon is stimulated and this increases plasma glucose levels in the body. If a patient doesn’t have diabetes, their body will produce insulin to rebalance the increased glucose levels. However people with diabetes either don’t produce enough insulin to rebalance their blood sugar (typically in type 1 diabetes) or their body is not able to use the insulin effectively enough (typical of type 2 diabetes). Consequently when blood glucose levels are tested, people with diabetes will have blood sugar levels significantly higher than people who do not have diabetes. What is the fasting blood sugar test used for? The fasting blood sugar test is also used to test the effectiveness of different medication or dietary changes on people already diagnosed as diabetic. Fasting tests The fasting test should be conducted on two separate occasions to ensure consistent results and in order to avoid a false diagnosis. This is the case as increased blood glucose levels may be as a result of Cushing’s syndrome liver or kidney disease, eclampsia and pancreatitis. However many of these conditions are often picked up in lab diagnostic tests. Fasting test results The results of a fasting test with respect to glucose levels in the body are as follows: Normal: 3.9 to 5.5 mmols/l (70 to 100 mg/dl) Prediabetes or Impaired Glucose Tolerance: 5.6 to 7.0 mmol/l (101 to 126 mg/dl) Diagnosis of diabetes: more than 7.0 mmol/l (126 mg/dl) The American Diabetes Association reduced the level of diagno Continue reading >>
The One Test Your Doctor Isn’t Doing That Could Save Your Life
Insulin resistance doesn’t happen overnight. When most of your diet includes empty calories and an abundance of quickly absorbed sugars, liquid calories, and carbohydrates like bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes, your cells slowly become resistant to the effects of insulin. Your body increasingly demands more insulin to do the same job of keeping your blood sugar even. Eventually your cells become resistant to insulin’s call, resulting in insulin resistance. The higher your insulin levels are, the worse your insulin resistance. Your body starts to age and deteriorate. In fact, insulin resistance is the single most important phenomenon that leads to rapid, premature aging and all its resultant diseases, including heart disease, stroke, dementia, and cancer. Insulin resistance and the resulting metabolic syndrome often comes accompanied by increasing central obesity, fatigue after meals, sugar cravings, high triglycerides, low HDL, high blood pressure, problems with blood clotting, as well as increased inflammation. Even without these warning signs, one test can determine high insulin levels years or even decades before diabetes develops. Early detection can help you reverse these symptoms, yet doctors rarely use this crucial test that can detect high insulin levels. Why Doctors Miss the Initial Warning Sign of Insulin Resistance Doctors have been trained to measure a person’s fasting blood sugar, or the glucose levels present in your blood, at least eight hours after your last meal. Most don’t express concern until results show blood sugar levels reaching 110 mg/dl. That’s when they start “watching it.” Then, once your blood sugar reaches 126 mg/dl, your doctor will diagnose you with diabetes and put you on medication. The important thing to note is that bloo Continue reading >>
Blood Test Sample: Fasting Or After You Eat Is Better?
Verdict is : Don’t fast Most of you take blood testing every year. Its good to detect imbalances and take actions. Most of you and doctors advised fasting for 8 to 12 hours prior to having their blood drawn for the test. Is it so? If you consider that is the consensus, but what is the missing point if not fasting and fasting? However, studies indicating that fasting may not be required and not fasting is much better to detect something that can be missed if fasting sample. Most people eat throughout the day and are never in a fasting state except when they are to do blood draw for the test. Results obtained when blood is drawn during this fasting period may not reflect what’s in your blood under normal conditions. This can lead to a false sense of security. For instance, glucose and triglyceride levels increase after you eat. As it relates to disease risk, how quickly they come down after you finish a meal is important. Some data suggest that after-meal blood levels of glucose and triglycerides are more accurate predictors of disease risk.1-4 Fasting and non-fasting blood sugar levels impact health and longevity. Glucose level can be normal when fasting and you will feel secured but after food sugar is higher that it should be and not drop into normal range even after 2 – 3 hours after food. This spike of sugar is dangerous and responsible for blood vessels disease. Surely will be missed with fasting sample. Triglycerides rise in the blood after a meal and can remain dangerously high for many hours. If one fasts 8-12 hours before a blood draw, triglycerides may appear artificially low compared to where they may be during typical non-fasting periods. This again can create a false sense of security regarding your cardiovascular risk. Analysis by Harvard University, Continue reading >>
