Insulin Level Tracking?
I’m wondering something kind of stupid this morning, which is why we don’t track people’s insulin levels. Or maybe we do and I don’t know about it? In which case, how do I get myself a Quantified Self insulin tracker? Here’s a bit of background to explain why I’m asking this. Insulin levels in your blood regulate the speed at which sugar in your blood is turned into fat, and similarly they regulate how quickly fat cells release fat into the bloodstream. If someone without diabetes eats something sweet their insulin levels shoot up to collect all the blood so the blood sugar levels doesn’t get toxic. Because what’s really important, as diabetics know, is that blood sugar levels remain not too high nor too low. Type I diabetics don’t make insulin, and Type II diabetics don’t respond to insulin properly. OK so here’s the thing. I’m pretty sure my insulin levels are normally a bit high, and that when I eat sugar or bread they spike up dramatically. And although that might sound like the opposite of diabetes, it’s actually the precursor to diabetes, where my body goes nuts making insulin and then my organs become resistant to it. But first of all, I’d like to know if I’m right – are my insulin levels elevated? – and second of all, I’d like to know how much my body reacts, insulin-wise, to eating and drinking various things. For instance, I drink a lot of coffee, and I’d like to know what that does to my insulin levels. And what about Coke Zero? I am probably going to be disappointed here. I know that the critical level to keep track of for diabetics, blood sugar, is still pretty hard to do, although recent continuous monitors do exist and are helping. So if anyone knows of a “continuous insulin monitor” please tell me! One last word Continue reading >>
Insulin Levels Vs. Glucose Levels
Diabetes is a disorder in which levels of blood sugar or glucose are above normal. In the five liters of blood that the average human has, only about a teaspoon of glucose is necessary to ensure proper function and regular health. Excess amounts of blood sugar hinder circulation and cause greater health problems over time. Abnormal amounts of the hormone insulin, which diabetics must also monitor, can also potentially cause problems. Video of the Day What are Insulin and Glucose? The body absorbs glucose from foods high in sugar, such as pasta, grains, cakes, starchy vegetables and pastries. This blood sugar is the main source of energy for the body’s cells, as noted by EndocrineWeb. Glucose is derived from the breakdown of ingested carbohydrates, and then moves from the liver and intestines to the bloodstream. The blood takes glucose to most of the cells of the body. In order for it to enter these cells, the hormone insulin is required. Insulin is a hormone produced primarily in the pancreas. Insulin is responsible for causing muscle, liver and fat cells to absorb excess glucose out of the bloodstream. Once in these organs, glucose is either used for energy or stored for future use. Therefore, insulin is responsible for reducing the concentration of glucose in the blood. How Insulin and Glucose Relate to Diabetes Diabetes develops when the pancreas fails to make enough insulin, or when liver, muscle and fat cells use insulin improperly, or both, according to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse. This leads to energy starvation in body cells, along with an excessive amount of glucose in the blood. This high blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, damages blood vessels and nerves. Over time, this translates into kidney disease, heart disease, blindness, stroke, gum i Continue reading >>
Insulin C-peptide Test
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Fasting Insulin Levels As A Measure Of Insulin Resistance In American Blacks.
Fasting insulin levels as a measure of insulin resistance in American blacks. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA. Insulin resistance is a common finding in diabetes mellitus, and may serve as a measure of efficacy of therapies for diabetes mellitus: exercise, exogenous insulin, sulfonylureas, and PPAR gamma agonists, and as a possible marker for risk for developing type II diabetes mellitus. The purpose of our study was to compare one measure of insulin resistance, the QUICKI method, which is a calculation of the inverse of the sum of the log of fasting serum glucose plus the log of fasting insulin level, with the observational measure of fasting serum insulin levels. We studied 79 African-American and Caribbean Black patients in an inner-city hospital-based internal medicine practice, 37 of them with type 2 diabetes mellitus and 42 controls. We found that most controls fell within manufacturers proposed reference range for fasting insulin levels. However, about 5% were appreciably above the range, suggesting insulin resistance, despite euglycemia. Among our diabetics there were two subpopulations: those with elevated fasting insulin levels and those with normal or deficient insulin levels. Only about 30% had elevated fasting insulin levels; however, by the QUICKI method, 54% showed insulin resistance. These findings suggest that QUICKI might be more sensitive measure of insulin resistance, while elevated fasting insulin levels may be more specific. Continue reading >>
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 >>
Measuring Blood Sugar And Insulin Levels
There are many ways for doctors to assess your blood sugar (glucose) and insulin levels and determine insulin resistance. One of the most common methods involves taking an oral "glucose tolerance test." After fasting, a patient drinks a solution containing 75 grams of sugar glucose. Blood is periodically drawn over a two- to five-hour period to determine how high the glucose levels rise and how quickly they fall. Doctors directly measure changes in glucose and infer insulin function from this data. A glucose response more typical of a diabetic or prediabetic suggests insulin resistance. Some physicians, especially those who specialize in the treatment of Syndrome X, also draw blood to specifically measure insulin levels, but this is not common in general practice. A normal fasting glucose range, taken before breakfast, is 65120 mg/dL (ideal range: 80100 mg/dL). A normal fasting insulin range is 635 micro-international units per milliliter (mcIU/mL). A normal two-hour postprandial (postmeal) glucose range is generally 65139 mg/dL. A normal two-hour postprandial insulin range is 635 micro-international units per milliliter (mcIU/mL). Continue reading >>
Insulin: Reference Range, Interpretation, Collection And Panels
Insulin is an anabolic hormone that promotes glucose uptake, glycogenesis, lipogenesis, and protein synthesis of skeletal muscle and fat tissue through the tyrosine kinase receptor pathway. In addition, insulin is the most important factor in the regulation of plasma glucose homeostasis, as it counteracts glucagon and other catabolic hormonesepinephrine, glucocorticoid, and growth hormone. Table 1. Reference Range of Insulin Levels [ 1 ] (Open Table in a new window) A standard insulin test is positive for endogenous insulin and exogenous insulin. In addition, there is a minimal cross-reaction with proinsulin and insulinlike growth factors 1 and 2, with the degree of variability depending on the brand of the testing toolkit and technique used. Insulin testing is used to assist in identifying causes of hypoglycemia (plasma glucose levels < 55 mg/dL), especially upon signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia (neurohypoglycopenic and autonomic symptoms). In this scenario, a 72-hour fasting test is performed. [ 2 ] Insulinoma: High insulin and C-peptide levels Nonbeta cell tumors: Low insulin and C-peptide levels and high insulinlike growth factor 2 level [ 3 ] Excessive insulin administration: High insulin levels and low C-peptide levels Insulin secretagogue administration (sulfonylurea and glinides): High insulin and C-peptide levels Congenital hyperinsulinism (mutation in insulin-secreting gene): High insulin and C-peptide levels Autoimmunity to insulin or insulin receptor (common in patients receiving insulin or those who have autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE] or Hashimoto thyroiditis): Postprandial insulin is bound to antibodies and dissociated 1 hour later, resulting in an extremely elevated insulin level and high insulintoC-peptide ratio [ 4 ] T Continue reading >>
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Is There A Way To Measure Insulin At Home?
Diabetes Forum The Global Diabetes Community Find support, ask questions and share your experiences. Join the community Is There A Way To Measure Insulin At Home? Is there a way to measure insulin at home? That would be really interesting, rather than blood sugar or ketones. Is there a way to measure insulin at home? That would be really interesting, rather than blood sugar or ketones. Currently it can only be done by a blood test (and I think it must be expensive 'cos it's hardly ever ordered). I did hear something on an interview recently (can't remember where though) that a home meter is in the pipeline, though not sure how long it will be before it becomes available. I agree though - it's one metric that I'd really like to know about. I would be all over that if they made a meter to measure insulin levels. I would imagine it would be expensive though and probably reserved for the doctors office. Hi. At the moment there is really only the c-peptide test and that has to be done professionally and it's expensive. It is at the moment the only test for insulin, a c-peptide test is really expensive as few laboratories do the test. My couple of tests were sent to London, and the results were took over a month to come back. A monitor would certainly be a huge help for my condition! The pairing up of a monitor and a CGM would give so much information to help explain so much! There are no home tests. The simplest method we use (at work) is an ELISA. You need basic lab facilities and it costs over 350 so way out of the budget of the average consumer It is too bad because knowing your insulin level is very important when deciding to take a diabetes drug or not and especially deciding if it is the right time to go on insulin. So many people have insulin stimulating drugs thrown 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 >>
Limitations In The Use Of Indices Using Glucose And Insulin Levels To Predict Insulin Sensitivity
OBJECTIVE To examine the utility of commonly used insulin sensitivity indices in nondiabetic European Americans (EAs) and African Americans (AAs). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Two-hundred forty nondiabetic participants were studied. Euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp was the gold standard approach to assess glucose disposal rates (GDR) normalized by lean body mass. The homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI) were calculated from fasting plasma glucose and insulin (FIL). Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed to determine Matsuda index, the simple index assessing insulin sensitivity (SIisOGTT), Avignon index, and Stomvoll index. Relationships among these indices with GDR were analyzed by multiple regression. RESULTS GDR values were similar in EA and AA subgroups; even so, AA exhibited higher FIL and were insulin-resistant compared with EA, as assessed by HOMA-IR, QUICKI, Matsuda index, SIisOGTT, Avignon index, and Stumvoll index. In the overall study population, GDR was significantly correlated with all studied insulin sensitivity indices (/r/ = 0.381–0.513); however, these indices were not superior to FIL in predicting GDR. Race and gender affected the strength of this relationship. In AA males, FIL and HOMA-IR were not correlated with GDR. In contrast, Matsuda index and SIisOGTT were significantly correlated with GDR in AA males, and Matsuda index was superior to HOMA-IR and QUICKI in AAs overall. CONCLUSIONS Insulin sensitivity indices based on glucose and insulin levels should be used cautiously as measures of peripheral insulin sensitivity when comparing mixed gender and mixed race populations. Matsuda index and SIisOGTT are reliable in studies that include AA males. Insuli Continue reading >>
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Effects Of Glucose And Insulin Levels On Adipose Tissue Glucose Measurement By Microdialysis Probes Retained For Three Weeks In Type 1 Diabetic Patients - Sciencedirect
Volume 57, Issue 1 , July 2000, Pages 13-19 Effects of glucose and insulin levels on adipose tissue glucose measurement by microdialysis probes retained for three weeks in Type 1 diabetic patients Get rights and content Background: To evaluate the effects of acute hyperglycaemia and hyperinsulinaemia on adipose tissue glucose measurements by microdialysis probes inserted for a 3-week period. Methods: Microdialysis probes were implanted pairwise in abdominal adipose tissue in seven Type 1 diabetic patients and remained in situ during the complete study. Stepped hyperglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamps were performed at weekly intervals at which the probes were prepared for microdialysis. Adipose tissue glucose by microdialysis was compared to venous and capillary blood glucose concentrations. Results: The mean time after which the acute rise in blood glucose was first detected was 11.3 min, which corresponds to the system delay of the microdialysis probe. The increase of the glucose concentration in dialysate was completed during the following 16 min. Hyperglycaemia and hyperinsulinaemia did not influence recovery compared to venous blood glucose concentrations, while recovery values compared to capillary blood glucose levels increased slightly under hyperinsulinaemic conditions (P<0.01). Conclusions: In Type 1 diabetic patients, recovery of glucose in adipose tissue compared to venous and capillary blood does not decrease during acute hyperglycaemia and hyperinsulinaemia. Although there is still a relevant time-delay to monitor a rise in blood glucose, these results show that microdialysis may offer an opportunity for future glucose monitoring over a prolonged time-period. Continue reading >>
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Signs Of Insulin Resistance
What is insulin resistance? Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas. It allows your cells to use glucose (sugar) for energy. People with insulin resistance have cells throughout their bodies that don’t use insulin effectively. This means the cells have trouble absorbing glucose, which causes a buildup of sugar in their blood. If your blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes, you have a condition called prediabetes caused by insulin resistance. It’s not entirely clear why some people develop insulin resistance and others don’t. A sedentary lifestyle and being overweight increases the chance of developing prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. The effects of insulin resistance Insulin resistance typically doesn’t trigger any noticeable symptoms. You could be insulin resistant for years without knowing, especially if your blood glucose levels aren’t checked. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) estimates that nearly 70 percent of individuals with insulin resistance and prediabetes will go on to develop type 2 diabetes if significant lifestyle changes aren’t made. Some people with insulin resistance may develop a skin condition known as acanthosis nigricans. This condition creates dark patches often on the back of the neck, groin, and armpits. Some experts believe it may be caused by a buildup of insulin within skin cells. There’s no cure for acanthosis nigricans, but if caused by a specific condition, treatment may allow for some of your natural skin color to return. Insulin resistance increases the risk of being overweight, having high triglycerides, and having elevated blood pressure. Since insulin resistance increases your risk for progressing to diabetes, you may not notice right away if you develop 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 >>
Part 2: How Is Insulin Resistance Measured?
The introduction to this article (Part 1: What is Insulin Resistance) explains what insulin resistance is, the conventional treatment for it and the drawbacks to that treatment: INTRO: There are a number of tools available for measuring insulin resistance, most of which are more suited to a research setting, including the Quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check Index (QUICKI) and the Matsuda Index. Others, such as the McAuley -, Belfiore -, Cederholm -, Avignon – and Stumvoll Index are better suited for epidemiological (population) research studies and are often compared to the “gold standard” for the measurement of insulin sensitivity, the Hyperinsulinemic Euglycemic Clamp (HEC). The homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) method is suitable for individuals to use with their doctors or Dietitians to assess insulin resistance, and is useful for using over time to measure the impact of dietary and lifestyle changes in lowering insulin resistance. Visualizing Insulin Resistance Insulin resistance can be determined by measuring insulin response to a standard glucose load over a 5 hour period and plotting the Insulin Response curves – which is precisely what Dr. Joseph R. Kraft MD, who was Chairman of the Department of Clinical Pathology and Nuclear Medicine, St. Joseph Hospital, Chicago, until his retirement. Dr. Kraft spent more than a quarter century devoted to the study of glucose metabolism and blood insulin levels – collecting data in almost 15,000 people, aged 3 to 90 years old. Between 1972 and 1998, Dr. Kraft measured the Insulin Response and data from 10,829 of these subjects indicated that 75% of subjects were insulin resistant. Compiling this data, five distinct Insulin Response Patterns emerged. Pattern I The light green curve below, is what a normal Continue reading >>
How Can Blood Sugar And Insulin Levels Help Determine Insulin Resistance?
How can an accurate, long range average of blood glucose be obtained? HbA1c is an accurate measure of blood glucose. The term HbA1c refers to glycated hemoglobin. Hemoglobin (Hb) is a protein within red blood cells (RBCs) that carries oxygen throughout your body. When Hb joins with glucose in the blood, it is glycated (1). Because red blood cells are being generated continuously, every blood sample represents an average of the starting points of the population of cells in the sample. There are about 1 billion red blood cells in 2-3 drops of blood (2). These red blood cells all started at different times (about 2 million are generated per second). Therefore, the billion cells represent the full spectrum ofstarting points within that 8 to 12 weeks. In other words, essentially every possible starting point in the 8 to 12 weeks regeneration time is represented by those billion RBCs. HbA1c is like taking a blood glucose reading every microsecond during that 8 to 12 weeks and computing the average. Conversely,direct measurement of blood glucose from a single time point after fasting 12 hours represents the results of what you ate within the last few days. It takes about 10 days to detox the blood from a poor diet. Fasting blood glucose has usefulness for determining the impact of diet on short term blood glucose levels. It is a relatively poor measurement of overall long-term blood glucose levels. How to determine the impact of your diet on blood glucose? When we eat, the digestive system breaks down the carbohydrates into various sugar molecules. Glucose is the bodys principal source of energy. Glucose can only enter cells if insulin in the bloodstream triggers glucose entry. Without insulin, the cells would starve (1). The impact of our diet on blood glucose can be determi Continue reading >>
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