An analysis of insulin is recommended not only for a sick person, but also for a he althy one. The fact is that if this study is carried out in time, then its results will help prevent serious diseases if there is any deviation from the norm. When signs of he alth problems are detected at an early stage, there is a high probability that adjustments can be made and the situation corrected.
Insulin. What it is? Why is it necessary?
Insulin is a protein hormone. It plays an important role in the human body. Its main task is to transport substances that nourish the cell. Insulin provides a balanced state of carbohydrates in the human body.
The production of this hormone occurs in certain cycles. For example, after a person eats, their level will be significantly higher than after abstaining from eating.
Why get tested for insulin? What does it show?
Insulin is produced by the pancreas and has a protein nature. The quantity depends onhow much glucose is in human blood. Insulin levels show the body's predisposition to diabetes. Identification of deviations from the norm indicates that it is necessary to take appropriate measures to maintain the body in a he althy state.
Diabetes is considered a very serious disease. If the human body is exposed to this disease, then this means that glucose cannot enter the tissues. Due to the fact that it does not come in the proper amount, there is no source of energy that is necessary for normal life. In this regard, there may be a malfunction in the work of the patient's organs and systems.
In addition, an insulin test will show what type of diabetes is present in the human body. When the pancreas stops producing enough insulin, it means that type 1 diabetes is present.
You should know that a patient is considered insulin dependent if the amount of hormone produced does not exceed twenty percent of the norm.
There is also a second type of diabetes. With it, insulin is produced in the right amount. But it is not absorbed by the cells of the body. This condition is called non-insulin-dependent diabetes.
Complications of the disease
Due to the presence of diabetes in the body, the following complications can occur in the human body:
- Ischemic heart disease.
- Retinopathy, which can later lead to complete blindness of the patient.
- Polyneuropathy.
- Kidney failure.
- Changes of a trophic nature, such as gangrene.
What should a man do? Possible methods
The important point is diagnosing changes in the level of insulin in human blood. If you detect it at an early stage, then the following methods will help prevent the development of the disease:
- Compliance with a special diet. It will be prescribed by the attending physician, based on the characteristics of your body (intolerance to any product, etc.).
- Therapeutic exercise.
If you stick to a special diet and exercise, you can cope with diabetes and bring carbohydrate metabolism back to normal. Emphasis should be placed on the fact that this can be achieved without the use of any drugs.
What are the signs that you need to get tested? What should I pay attention to?
Usually, an insulin test is prescribed to confirm or refute a diagnosis such as diabetes mellitus. Also, the reason for the surrender is the presence or suspicion of endocrine diseases. Those who follow he alth should pay attention to the following symptoms that appear in the human body:
- Change in weight both up and down. This is especially an alarming signal if there have not been any changes in nutrition and mobility in a person’s lifestyle. That is, if a person moves and eats in the same rhythm, as day after day, and his body weightchanges, it means that some kind of failure has occurred in the body. To identify it, it is necessary to conduct an examination.
- Weakness, a drop in efficiency are also signs of a violation of any processes. To identify the reasons for this situation, you must contact a medical institution for the necessary examination and testing, including for insulin.
- Another sign of impaired production of the above hormone is the long healing of wounds. For example, cuts or abrasions take a long time to heal and bleed. This sign also indicates a change in the composition of human blood.
How is analysis done? Research options. Description
Insulin testing can be done in two ways:
- The first way to pass this type of analysis is called hungry. It lies in the fact that the material is taken on an empty stomach. When analyzing in this way, 8 hours should elapse after the last meal. In this regard, the delivery of the analysis is scheduled for the morning hours.
- The second way to determine a person's predisposition to diabetes is through the use of glucose. The patient drinks a certain amount of it, waits two hours, and then donates blood.
There is another option for taking a blood test for insulin. It is a combination of two methods. This option is the most accurate. First, a person does a blood test for insulin on an empty stomach, then consumes glucose, after which he waits a couple of hours and passesblood again. This method allows you to see the picture of what is happening in the body more holistically. However, for a preventive examination, it is enough to donate blood only in the morning, on an empty stomach.
Preparation for the study. What should be done before analysis? Doctors' advice
Now you know what an insulin test is, how to take it. Now let's talk about how to properly prepare. This is necessary for the result to be reliable.
- Before donating blood on an empty stomach, you should refrain from eating for eight hours. During this time, you can not eat or drink drinks. Only clean water can be consumed.
- You cannot be tested if the patient is undergoing any course of treatment, that is, taking medications. The fact is that they can affect the results obtained. Blood for insulin should be taken either before the start of the course of treatment, or at least seven days after its completion. Also, the patient needs to notify the attending physician that he is undergoing treatment, or about when he stopped taking the funds. In the case when the course of therapy is long, and insulin testing is an important part of the treatment process, it is necessary to agree with the doctor on the possibility of interrupting the intake of medications in order to take blood samples.
- For 24 hours before the study, you should follow a certain diet, namely, refuse to eat fatty foods and drink alcohol. Also, you do not need to do anyexercise.
- In the case when, in addition to donating blood, the patient is prescribed such types of examinations as ultrasound or X-ray, then the material should first be submitted for examination, and then go to other types of procedures.
Insulin test (blood test): norm, analysis decoding
As mentioned above, insulin levels in a person's blood can fluctuate depending on the consumption of food. Therefore, for accuracy on an empty stomach, an analysis of insulin is done.
The norm for this substance in human blood is 1.9-23 µm/ml. This is for an adult. The norm in children is from two to twenty microns / ml. For pregnant women, there are indicators. For them, the norm ranges from six to 27 microns / ml.
Characterization of the values of insulin in the blood. What does it mean if this hormone is more or less?
In the case when insulin in a person's blood is present below the lowest level, this indicates that type 1 diabetes is present in the body. Conversely, with an increased value, we can talk about the presence of insulin-independent diabetes in the body.
It should also be remembered that pregnant women have other indicators of norms, their value is too high.
Small conclusion
Now you know how to test for insulin. The decoding of the analysis and the norms of the indicator are discussed in this article.
Every person needsremember that it is better to diagnose the disease at an early stage than to treat its advanced forms.