What is insulin?

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas to stimulate the absorption of carbohydrates such as glucose from the blood, producing energy and building material for cells. Diabetes is a condition characterised by high blood sugar, which would normally be regulated by insulin.

Insulin production and your body’s ability to use it is reduced in type 1 and type 2 diabetes, respectively. Glucose is the main sugar circulating in the blood which is broken down from the food you eat. Type 1 diabetes is caused by the immune system mistakenly targeting and destroying the cells which produce insulin in the pancreas. This means that glucose in the blood is not metabolised as it should be and synthetic insulin injections are required to correct it. Type 2 diabetes is a result of the body becoming resistant to insulin, elevating blood sugar levels.

If this resistance is not too severe, the pancreas can counteract it by producing more insulin. If this is the case then it is known as a ‘prediabetic’ state, where further development of insulin resistance could result in type 2 diabetes. Prediabetic individuals may be able to prevent the development of diabetes by changing their diet and lifestyle. Symptoms of diabetes include excessive thirst/hunger, fatigue, blurred vision, sweet-smelling breath, tingling of the extremities, weight changes and nausea.

Why take the test?

This test checks the level of insulin in the blood. Insulin deficiency could indicate type 1 diabetes, where elevated insulin indicates type 2 diabetes or prediabetes. This test can diagnose and differentiate between these conditions.