Fasting Insulin Level Test Can Predict and Prevent Diseases

With the rise of usage of smartwatches and other fitness bracelets, the demand for direct access to personalized health information is also rising. However, this paradigm shift is limited in its capabilities as it can provide the user only with the heart rate, calorie consumption and steps taken. In the scenario when the information is more accessible than ever, there should be more ways to get true personalized health data such as cancer risk evaluations, vitamin deficiencies and early markers of disease.

Blood tests conducted by the labs specializing in home phlebotomy services in Northern Virginia can provide this personalized health profile and put the power to live a longer, healthier life directly in your hands.

FASTING INSULIN LEVEL TEST — The first among these tests! It determines the fasting insulin levels. Insulin facilitates glucose (sugar) absorption in cells and moves excess glucose into muscles for storage. If the test reveals elevated insulin levels, then it’s a clear indication of metabolic imbalance. When a person consumes higher sugar than what is being required then it prompts to increased insulin production that which forces glucose into fat storage. The fasting insulin level test determines the insulin level during a “fasting” period when no food is being consumed. Without food or glucose in the bloodstream, normal insulin levels should be low. Increased levels signal an imbalance and possible health issues.

WHO SHOULD ALL GET FASTING INSULIN LEVEL TEST DONE?

Elevated fasting insulin levels never show any physical symptoms, however, there are factors that characterize or predict insulin abnormalities, they include:

· low blood sugar

· a family history of diabetes

· gestational diabetes during pregnancy

· high blood pressure, 140/90 or above

· imbalanced cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol (good) and high LDL cholesterol (bad)

· cardiovascular disease

· obesity

A STUDY OF THE TEST RESULTS

Testing for the fasting insulin level in the blood can help determine whether the individual is pre-diabetic or not. A normal fasting insulin level is 5 µIU/mL, though ideally, this number should be around 3 µIU/mL. If your fasting insulin level is higher than 5 µIU/mL there is increased risk of diabetes and other various degenerative decreases. In such a situation you should decrease your sugar consumption especially fructose (sugar from fruit) which disrupts the cell’s insulin receptor sites. On the other hand, the much higher level of insulin says 6.5 µIU/mL or above indicates diabetes.

Prolonged exposure to increased levels of insulin predicts much more than just diabetes. Too much insulin increases the risk of cancer, as it aids cell growth and creates free radicals in the bloodstream. It’s also associated with liver damage and impaired vascular function.

The labs specializing in home phlebotomy services in Northern Virginia are expertise in conducting all such tests. After all, these tests are very much important as they tell you about your overall health and make you concerned about the life-saving opportunities. Knowing you’re at risk for diabetes, cancer or liver disease changes the context of everyday decisions. This is especially true in case of insulin levels because they’re directly related to sugar consumption and fat storage. Active muscles are able to burn stored glucose and then use sugar in the bloodstream for muscle reserves instead of fat storage.