The Fasting Insulin bloodspot is designed to detect insulin resistance (metabolic syndrome), a sign of diabetes, pre-diabetes, and heart disease.
If you have pre-diabetes or diabetes, you’ve likely heard of the medical term “insulin resistance syndrome” or “metabolic syndrome”. Insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome describe a combination of health problems that have a common link—an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease.
The cluster of medical conditions that make up the insulin resistance syndrome places a patient at risk of developing type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). It is estimated that 34% of adult Americans have insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome.
Insulin is a hormone that metabolizes fats and carbohydrates. When the body is subjected to an overabundance of these compounds, it often develops insulin resistance, making it difficult to break them down and digest them.
Normally, food is absorbed into the bloodstream in the form of sugars such as glucose and other basic substances. The increase in sugar in the bloodstream signals the pancreas (an organ located behind the stomach) to increase the secretion of insulin. This hormone attaches to cells, removing sugars from the bloodstream to convert them into energy.
With insulin resistance, the body's cells have difficulty responding to the action of the insulin hormone. To compensate for the insulin resistance, the pancreas secretes an overabundance of insulin.
People with this syndrome have insulin resistance and high levels of insulin in the blood as a marker of the disease rather than a cause. Over time people with insulin resistance can develop diabetes as the high insulin levels can no longer compensate for elevated sugar intake.
The HbA1c (hemoglobin A1c) test is a blood test used to monitor the status of a patient’s diabetes.
HbA1c provides a patient’s average blood sugar control over a 6-12 week period and is used in conjunction with home blood sugar monitoring to make adjustments in the patient’s diabetes medications.
Hemoglobin is a substance within red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout your body. When diabetes is not controlled (meaning blood sugar is too high), sugar builds up in the blood and combines with hemoglobin, becoming "glycated." Therefore, the average amount of sugar in the blood can be determined by measuring a hemoglobin A1c level. If glucose levels have been high over recent weeks, the hemoglobin A1c test will be higher. The amount of hemoglobin A1c will reflect the last several weeks of blood sugar levels, typically encompassing a period of 120 days.
People with diabetes should test their HbA1c every three months to monitor whether their blood sugars have reached the target level of control. Those who have good control of their diabetes may be able may be able to test less regularly, but experts recommend checking at least twice a year.
Patients with diseases that affect hemoglobin (such as anemia) may receive abnormal results from an HbA1c test. Other abnormalities that can affect the results of the hemoglobin A1c include supplements such as vitamins C and E and high cholesterol levels. Kidney disease and liver disease may also affect the result of the hemoglobin A1c test.
Overview
Fasting Insulin:
Tests for:
Insulin resistance, a sign of diabetes, pre-diabetes, and heart disease
Symptoms and conditions:
- Pre-diabetes
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Obesity
- High blood pressure
- Abnormal cholesterol levels
- Polycystic ovary syndrome
Type 1 Diabetes
- Frequent urination
- Unusual thirst
- Extreme hunger
- Unusual weight loss
- Extreme fatigue and irritability
Type 2 Diabetes
- Any of the type 1 symptoms
- Frequent infections
- Blurred vision
- Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal
- Tingling/numbness in the hands/feet
- Recurring skin, gum, or bladder infections
Analytes measured:
HbA1c:
Tests for:
HbA1c to monitor diabetes status
Symptoms and conditions:
Type 1 Diabetes
- Frequent urination
- Unusual thirst
- Extreme hunger
- Unusual weight loss
- Extreme fatigue and irritability
Type 2 Diabetes
- Any of the type 1 symptoms
- Frequent infections
- Blurred vision
- Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal
- Tingling/numbness in the hands/feet
- Recurring skin, gum, or bladder infections
Analytes measured:
HbA1c
Practical
Test type:
Cardiovascular: diabetes, heart disease, fasting insulin, obesity
Sample required:
Bloodspot
Average processing time:
21 days