Insulin in Blood
Reviewed
This test measures the amount of insulin in a sample of your blood. Insulin is a hormone that helps move blood glucose into your cells for energy. The test is often used to find the cause of low blood glucose (hypoglycemia), diagnose insulin resistance, guide treatment for type 2 diabetes, or monitor how well pancreatic islet cell transplantation surgery is working.
Preparation and collection
Your health care provider will tell you how to prepare. You will probably need to fast (not eat or drink) for 8 to 12 hours before the test.
Understanding this test
Use the reference interval and units printed by the laboratory that performed the test. A result outside that interval is not a diagnosis by itself, and a result inside it does not rule out every condition. Your symptoms, history, medicines, timing, and related tests can change what the result means.
- If you take biotin supplements (vitamin B7), or supplements that include biotin, you'll need to stop taking them for at least a day before your test.
- You will probably need to fast (not eat or drink) for 8 to 12 hours before the test.
What to do next
Ask your provider to explain what your test results say about your health and what follow-up steps are needed.