Copeptin

Optimal Result: 0 - 14 pmol/L.

The Copeptin test is used in the diagnosis of central diabetes insipidus and in the differential diagnosis of central or nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. It is a reliable surrogate marker for arginine vasopressin (AVP).

What is central diabetes insipidus?

Central diabetes insipidus is a rare condition where your body doesn't make enough of a hormone called vasopressin. This hormone normally tells your kidneys to keep water in the body. Without enough vasopressin, your kidneys release too much water into your urine, leading to a lot of peeing and extreme thirst. It's different from the more common diabetes (like type 1 or type 2), which is about blood sugar. Central diabetes insipidus can be caused by damage to the pituitary gland or hypothalamus, which are parts of your brain that make and store vasopressin. The main symptoms are drinking and peeing a lot, often waking up at night to pee. It's important to get it treated to avoid dehydration.

What is nephrogenic diabetes insipidus?

Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus is a condition where the kidneys don't respond properly to vasopressin, a hormone that controls water balance in the body. Unlike central diabetes insipidus, which is due to a lack of vasopressin, in nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, there's enough vasopressin, but the kidneys don't react to it. As a result, the kidneys release too much water into the urine, leading to frequent urination and intense thirst. This condition can be caused by certain genetic factors, medications, or kidney problems. It's different from regular diabetes that affects blood sugar. Managing nephrogenic diabetes insipidus often involves dietary changes and specific medications to help the body retain water and prevent dehydration.

What is the difference between central diabetes insipidus and nephrogenic diabetes insipidus?

Central diabetes insipidus and nephrogenic diabetes insipidus are both conditions that cause frequent urination and extreme thirst, but they have different causes. Central diabetes insipidus happens when your brain doesn't make enough vasopressin, a hormone that tells your kidneys to keep water in the body. This leads to too much water being lost in urine. In contrast, nephrogenic diabetes insipidus occurs when the kidneys don't respond properly to vasopressin. The brain makes the hormone, but the kidneys don't react to it correctly, also leading to too much water being lost. So, in central diabetes insipidus, the problem is with the hormone production, and in nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, the problem is with the kidneys' response to the hormone.

What is arginine vasopressin (AVP)?

Arginine vasopressin (AVP), also known as antidiuretic hormone (ADH), is an important hormone in your body. It helps control the amount of water your kidneys filter out of your blood and into your urine. When AVP is released, it tells your kidneys to keep more water in the body, which makes your urine more concentrated. This is really useful for maintaining your body's water balance, especially if you're dehydrated or losing too much water (like when you sweat a lot). AVP is also involved in other functions, such as helping to regulate blood pressure. It's made in the brain and released into the bloodstream when needed.

--------------------------

The copeptin test is a helpful tool used by doctors to check on a specific part of our body's hormone system. Copeptin is a piece of a larger hormone called pre-provasopressin, which breaks down into three parts, including vasopressin. Vasopressin is important because it helps control how much water our bodies keep and how much we pee out. It's hard to measure vasopressin directly because it doesn't last long in our blood and is present in tiny amounts. That's where copeptin comes in – it's easier to measure and tells us how much vasopressin our body is making.

The copeptin test is really useful for doctors, especially in a few key situations:

→ Diagnosing Diabetes Insipidus: This is a condition where your body can't control urine concentration properly, making you pee a lot and feel very thirsty. The copeptin test helps doctors figure out whether the problem is because your body isn't making enough vasopressin or because your kidneys aren't responding to vasopressin properly.

→ Heart and Blood Vessel Health: If someone has heart problems or a heart attack, checking copeptin levels can help doctors understand how severe the problem is and what kind of risks are involved.

→ Understanding Hyponatremia: This is when there's not enough sodium in the blood. Copeptin helps to find out why this is happening.

→ Help in Emergency Situations: In critical situations like severe infections (sepsis), stroke, or serious lung problems, copeptin levels can give doctors clues about how serious the condition is and what might happen next, which helps them choose the best treatment.

In summary, the copeptin test is a great help in medicine because it gives clear and reliable information about vasopressin levels in our body, which is important for diagnosing and treating various health issues. It's easier to measure than vasopressin itself and gives doctors a good insight into what's happening inside the body.

What does it mean if your Copeptin result is too high?

Elevated copeptin levels in your body often point to stress or health issues, particularly those affecting your heart, kidneys, or the balance of water and salt. When copeptin is high, it might mean there are heart problems, like heart failure or a higher risk of a heart attack, because it shows the heart is working really hard. Kidney issues can also cause high copeptin levels, as these organs are crucial for managing water in your body. In cases of hyponatremia, where there's not enough sodium in the blood, copeptin levels may go up. It's also seen in central diabetes insipidus, a condition where the body doesn't make enough of a specific hormone, leading to water balance problems. Additionally, severe infections or any big stress on the body, like after surgery or physical trauma, can increase copeptin levels. Remember, high copeptin itself isn't a disease, but a sign that doctors use to figure out if there's something else going on in the body that needs attention.

To address elevated copeptin levels, it's essential to focus on the underlying causes, as copeptin often signals stress, dehydration, or various medical conditions. Here's a guide on how to manage elevated copeptin levels:

→ Determine the Underlying Cause:

- Dehydration: Ensure you're drinking enough fluids to stay properly hydrated.

- Infections or Inflammation: Treat any infections or inflammatory conditions with the appropriate medications.

- Stress: Practice stress-reduction techniques such as meditation, regular exercise, and getting sufficient sleep.

- Heart or Kidney Problems: Follow your healthcare provider's guidance for managing heart or kidney issues.

→ Medical Treatment:

- Diabetes Insipidus: If diabetes insipidus is the cause, treatment may involve desmopressin or other medications to control urine output and maintain water balance.

- Heart Failure: Adhere to prescribed treatments for heart failure, which might include ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, or diuretics.

- Kidney Disease: Manage kidney disease through dietary changes, medications, and possibly dialysis as advised by your healthcare provider.

→ Lifestyle Adjustments:

- Healthy Diet: Eat a balanced diet that's low in sodium and rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

- Regular Exercise: Engage in consistent physical activity to improve overall health and reduce stress.

- Avoid Smoking and Limit Alcohol: Both can worsen conditions that might lead to elevated copeptin levels.

→ Regular Monitoring:

- Work with your healthcare provider to regularly monitor copeptin levels and other relevant biomarkers to assess the effectiveness of treatments and make any necessary adjustments.

→ Consult Healthcare Professionals:

- Always seek advice from a healthcare provider for a personalized diagnosis and treatment plan. They can offer specific recommendations based on your health status and the underlying cause of elevated copeptin levels.

By addressing the root cause and making necessary lifestyle changes, it's possible to manage and potentially lower elevated copeptin levels effectively.

What does it mean if your Copeptin result is too low?

If copeptin levels are decreased, it can indicate certain health conditions, particularly related to the body's water balance and hormone regulation. Low copeptin levels may suggest an issue with the body's ability to produce or release vasopressin (the antidiuretic hormone), which is crucial for controlling urine production and water retention. This could be a sign of central diabetes insipidus, where the brain doesn't produce enough vasopressin, leading to excessive urination and thirst. In some cases, low copeptin might also be associated with conditions that cause an excess of water in the body, like syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH). Here, despite low copeptin, the body retains too much water due to excessive vasopressin action. Additionally, certain conditions that affect the pituitary gland or hypothalamus in the brain, which are responsible for hormone production, might also result in reduced copeptin levels. It's important to note that low copeptin levels, like high levels, are not a direct cause of illness but rather a marker that can help doctors diagnose and understand underlying health issues.

Frequently asked questions

Healthmatters is a highly-personalized health dashboard.

Instead of searching for your lab results in different places or tracking them down from different providers, Healthmatters houses, organizes, and interprets them all in one central location.

With a Healthmatters account, you can dive into the details of each biomarker and gain insights into the meaning behind your medical test data, anytime, anywhere.

For our professional users, Healthmatters provides intuitive tools that not only streamline analysis but also save valuable time when delving into your client's lab report history.

Healthmatters.io personal account provides in-depth research on 4000+ biomarkers, including information and suggestions for test panels such as, but not limited to:

  • The GI Effects® Comprehensive Stool Profile,
  • GI-MAP,
  • The NutrEval FMV®,
  • The ION Profile,
  • Amino Acids Profile,
  • Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones (DUTCH),
  • Organic Acids Test,
  • Organix Comprehensive Profile,
  • Toxic Metals,
  • Complete Blood Count (CBC),
  • Metabolic panel,
  • Thyroid panel,
  • Lipid Panel,
  • Urinalysis,
  • And many, many more.

You can combine all test reports inside your Healthmatters account and keep them in one place. It gives you an excellent overview of all your health data. Once you retest, you can add new results and compare them.

If you are still determining whether Healthmatters support your lab results, the rule is that if you can test it, you can upload it to Healthmatters.

While we work with many popular labs, we welcome reports from lots of other places too.

It's as simple as this: if you can get a test done, you can upload it to Healthmatters and we can interpret results from any lab out there. If laboratories can analyze it, we can interpret it.

If you’re on the hunt for a specific biomarker, contact us and we'll add it to our database. Anything from blood, urine, saliva, or stool can be uploaded, understood, and tracked with your Healthmatters account.

There are two ways to add your test reports to your Healthmatters account. One option is to input the data using the data entry forms. The other method is to utilize our "Data entry service."

Our data entry forms offer an easy, fast, and free way for you to input the reports yourself. Self-entry allows you to add an unlimited number of reports at no cost. We make the self-entry process user-friendly, providing dozens of templates that pre-populate the most popular laboratory panels and offering instant feedback on entered values.

For those who prefer assistance, we offer a "Data entry service" to help you input your data. Simply attach an image or file of your lab test results, and a qualified team member from our data entry team will add the results for you.

We support various file types, including PDFs, JPGs, or Excel. This service is particularly useful if you have many reports to upload or if you're too busy to handle the data entry yourself.

Our special data entry service makes it easy to add your results to your private dashboard. Just attach an image or a file of your lab test results, and our skilled data entry team will do the work for you. It's all done by humans, ensuring that your data is entered accurately and with personal care for each client.

Depending on your account, the data entry service can be included for free or come at an additional cost of $15 per report.

For users on the Complete monthly plan, the first report is entered free of charge, and each additional report incurs a fee of $15.

Unlimited account holders enjoy the entry of ten reports without charge. Subsequent reports are subject to a $15 fee per report.

Additionally, users on the Complete plan can upgrade to a yearly subscription from the account settings. The annual subscription includes a data entry service for five reports.

The Unlimited plan is a one-time purchase for $250, and it covers your account for a lifetime with no additional payments.

For the Complete plan, the cost is $15 per month. You have the flexibility to cancel it anytime through your account settings, ensuring no further payments. To avoid charges, remember to cancel at least a day before the renewal date. Once canceled, the subscription remains active until the end of the current billing cycle.

Additionally, you can upgrade to the yearly Advanced plan from within your account. The annual cost is $79, and it comes with a data entry service for five reports.

You can always upgrade to a lifetime version with a prorated price from a monthly or yearly subscription.

Simply log in and navigate to your account settings to cancel your subscription. Scroll down to locate the 'Cancel' button at the bottom of the page. Ensure you cancel at least one day before the renewal date to prevent any charges. Once cancellation is requested, the subscription remains active until the conclusion of the current billing cycle.

Our goal has been to make your Healthmatters account as intuitive as possible.

We’ve crafted multiple ways for you to navigate your data, whether you're glancing at a single report or delving into your historical test reports.

1. Graph View:

Dive into a visual journey with our biomarker graphs, showcasing over 40 data points. Combining years of results unveils trends, empowering you to make informed decisions. Our visualization tools make it a breeze to compare and understand changes over time, even if your results are from different labs. A search function and filters simplify the exploration of extensive data, allowing you to focus on what needs attention.

2. All Tests View

Explore neatly organized reports on a timeline, highlighting crucial details like dates, critical results, and lab/panel names. Each report opens up to reveal in-depth descriptions and additional recommendations for each biomarker. The history of previous results is just a click away, and you can download a comprehensive report for deeper insights. Color-coded and user-friendly, it's designed for easy reading, understanding, and navigation.

3. Table View:

For a holistic view of all biomarkers side by side, our table view is your go-to. Results are neatly displayed in a categorized and dated table, ideal for those with an extensive test history. Utilize sorting, filters, and color-coding to enhance your analysis and gain extra insights.

Yes, you can download information from your account. We can compile your labs into a CSV file. To download all your labs, you can go to Account Settings, and at the bottom of the page, you will find a link to download your information.

Yes, you can print your report. To do so, navigate to "All tests" and open the report you wish to print. You'll find a print button in the right corner of the report. Click on it, and your browser's print window will open. If you prefer to print in a bigger typeface, adjust the scale using the print window settings.

Yes, you can! We highly recommend activating Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for your account. To do so, please navigate to the "Profile and Security" section of your account, where you will find instructions for activating 2FA.

Yes, you can. When entering values for the biomarker, you will see an "Edit Range" button. Click this button, and you'll have the option to enter a custom range.

A personal account is all about keeping your own lab test results in check. It's just for you and your personal use.

The professional account is designed for health professionals who wish to track and organize their clients' laboratory results.

Use promo code to save 10% off any plan.


We implement proven measures to keep your data safe.

At HealthMatters, we're committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We've put industry-leading security standards in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control. We use procedural, physical, and electronic security methods designed to prevent unauthorized people from getting access to this information. Our internal code of conduct adds additional privacy protection. All data is backed up multiple times a day and encrypted using SSL certificates. See our Privacy Policy for more details.