Other names: Insulin - Fasting
Insulin is a vital hormone produced by the pancreas that helps regulate the amount of glucose (sugar) in your bloodstream. It acts like a key, allowing your body’s cells to absorb glucose and use it for energy. Insulin also signals your liver, muscles, and fat tissue to store extra glucose for later use. Without enough insulin, your body can’t manage blood sugar effectively, which can lead to serious health problems.
The pancreas is a long, leaf-shaped organ located behind your stomach, nestled under the liver and close to the gallbladder and small intestine. It plays a central role in both digestion and blood sugar control.
The pancreas has two main functions:
The pancreas releases important hormones directly into the bloodstream. The two most crucial are:
Insulin: Lowers blood sugar by helping cells absorb glucose.
Glucagon: Raises blood sugar by signaling the liver to release stored glucose.
These hormones work together to keep your blood sugar levels balanced—a key factor for the health of organs like your brain, liver, and kidneys.
The pancreas also produces digestive enzymes that help break down food in your small intestine:
Trypsin & Chymotrypsin: Digest proteins.
Amylase: Breaks down carbohydrates.
Lipase: Breaks down fats.
Insulin is produced in specialized cells called beta cells within the pancreas. Beta cells make up about 75% of the pancreas’s hormone-producing cells. Inside these cells, insulin is first created as a larger molecule called proinsulin, which is then split into:
Insulin
C-peptide: A byproduct used by doctors to measure how much insulin your body is making.
Beta cells constantly monitor your blood sugar and adjust insulin production as needed.
Insulin’s primary job is to help your body turn the food you eat into energy. After you eat, carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, which enters your bloodstream. Insulin:
Acts as a key, allowing cells to absorb glucose for energy.
Signals the liver to store extra glucose for later use.
Without enough insulin, glucose can’t enter your cells efficiently and builds up in your blood, which can lead to high blood sugar and serious health risks.
Diabetes is a chronic condition where the body either doesn’t produce enough insulin or can’t use it effectively. There are three main types:
An autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing beta cells.
The body makes little to no insulin.
People with T1D need daily insulin injections.
Often linked to lifestyle, genetics, and age.
The body produces insulin, but either not enough or it can’t use it efficiently (a problem called insulin resistance).
More common in adults but increasingly seen in children and teens.
May require insulin or other medications.
Develops during pregnancy due to hormone-induced insulin resistance.
Usually goes away after delivery.
Increases the future risk of type 2 diabetes for both mother and child.
Insulin resistance happens when cells in your muscles, fat, and liver don’t respond properly to insulin. As a result, too much glucose stays in your bloodstream. Over time, this can lead to prediabetes and eventually type 2 diabetes.
Excess body fat, especially around the abdomen
Physical inactivity
Poor diet (high in processed carbs and saturated fats)
Certain medications (such as steroids, some HIV treatments, and psychiatric drugs)
Genetics and ethnicity can also play a role
Even people with a healthy weight can experience insulin resistance, which may be temporary or long-term.
Insulin resistance is not the same as diabetes, but it can lead to it. Here’s how it often progresses:
Insulin resistance develops quietly.
The pancreas works harder, making more insulin to keep blood sugar normal.
Over time, beta cells become overworked and insulin production drops.
Prediabetes occurs when blood sugar is higher than normal but not yet in the diabetes range.
If left unmanaged, this can progress to type 2 diabetes.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): Often occurs alongside insulin resistance.
Increased risk of heart disease: Long-term insulin resistance can raise cardiovascular risk.
Higher A1C levels: The A1C test shows your average blood sugar over the past three months and is used to diagnose diabetes.
Doctors often use the Hemoglobin A1C test to measure long-term blood sugar control:
Normal A1C: Below 5.7%
Prediabetes: 5.7% to 6.4%
Diabetes: 6.5% or higher
Normal fasting insulin: Less than 25 μIU/mL
Optimal fasting insulin: Often considered between 2–10 μIU/mL, depending on the lab and clinical context
Understanding how insulin works and what can go wrong helps you make informed choices about your health. Recognizing the signs of insulin resistance or diabetes early can lead to better outcomes and prevent serious complications.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Insulin Resistance
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Insulin Resistance & Prediabetes
American Diabetes Association (ADA). Gestational Diabetes
StatPearls. Insulin Resistance
National Institutes of Health (NIH). History of Insulin
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Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that plays a crucial role in regulating blood sugar levels. It helps transport glucose (sugar) from the bloodstream into your body’s cells, where it can be used for energy. This process helps maintain healthy blood glucose levels.
When insulin levels in the blood become higher than normal, the condition is known as hyperinsulinemia. While hyperinsulinemia is not the same as diabetes, it is often linked to insulin resistance and is commonly seen in the early stages of type 2 diabetes.
Insulin resistance occurs when the body’s cells no longer respond properly to insulin. In response, the pancreas compensates by producing more insulin, which leads to elevated insulin levels in the bloodstream. Over time, this demand can overwhelm the pancreas, and when it can no longer keep up with the need for extra insulin, type 2 diabetes may develop.
In most cases, hyperinsulinemia results from insulin resistance, but in rare cases, it can be caused by other conditions, such as:
Insulinoma – a tumor of the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas
Nesidioblastosis – an abnormal increase in the number or activity of insulin-producing cells in the pancreas
People with insulin resistance often do not experience symptoms from hyperinsulinemia. However, in cases of insulinoma, excessive insulin can lead to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), which may cause symptoms like shakiness, sweating, confusion, or even fainting.
Treatment for hyperinsulinemia focuses on addressing its underlying cause—whether that’s managing insulin resistance through lifestyle changes or treating an insulin-secreting tumor.
Conditions associated with increased insulin resistance include:
Obesity
Use of corticosteroids
Acromegaly
Cushing syndrome
Genetic mutations affecting insulin receptors
Early-stage type 2 diabetes
Conditions associated with increased insulin secretion include:
Insulinomas (tumors that secrete insulin or proinsulin)
Use of insulin secretagogues (medications that stimulate insulin release)
Additionally, excessive use of insulin injections or medications can lead to abnormally high insulin levels.
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Several health conditions and situations can lead to low insulin levels, including:
Insulin resistance often develops before type 2 diabetes. In its early stages, the pancreas tries to compensate by producing more insulin. Initially, this can cause low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), but over time, the pancreas can become exhausted. As insulin production declines, blood sugar levels rise, potentially leading to type 2 diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is one of the most common causes of low insulin. In this autoimmune condition, the immune system attacks and destroys the beta cells in the pancreas that make insulin. In late-stage type 2 diabetes, chronic insulin resistance and genetic factors can damage beta cells, impairing their ability to produce enough insulin.
Long-term inflammation of the pancreas (chronic pancreatitis) can damage insulin-producing cells, leading to reduced insulin levels.
If all or part of the pancreas is surgically removed, insulin production will drop significantly or stop entirely, depending on how much of the organ is removed.
Also known as adrenal insufficiency, Addison’s disease occurs when the adrenal glands fail to produce enough hormones, including cortisol and, sometimes, aldosterone. This hormonal imbalance can also impact insulin levels.
Autoimmune attacks or severe infections can damage the pancreas and impair its ability to produce insulin.
In some cases, taking too much insulin can suppress the pancreas’s own insulin production, especially if insulin is consistently over-administered.
Liver dysfunction can interfere with glucose and insulin regulation, potentially leading to insulin deficiencies.
Symptoms vary depending on the underlying cause but may resemble those seen in type 1 diabetes. Common signs include:
Excessive hunger and thirst
Unexplained weight loss and reduced muscle mass
Fatigue and low energy
Frequent urination, especially at night
Blurred vision
Slow-healing or persistent sores
If you’re experiencing these symptoms, it’s important to speak with your healthcare provider. Identifying and treating the root cause of low insulin is key to preventing complications and maintaining long-term health.
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I have been using Healthmatters.io since 2021. I travel all over the world and use different doctors and health facilities. This site has allowed me to consolidate all my various test results over 14 years in one place. And every doctor that I show this to has been impressed. Because with any health professional I talk to, I can pull up historical results in seconds. It is invaluable. Even going back to the same doctor, they usually do not have the historical results from their facility in a graph format. That has been very helpful.
Karin
Advanced Plan Member since 2020
What fantastic service and great, easy-to-follow layouts! I love your website; it makes it so helpful to see patterns in my health data. It's truly a pleasure to use. I only wish the NHS was as organized and quick as Healthmatters.io. You've set a new standard for health tracking!
Paul
Healthmatters Pro Member since 2024
As a PRO member and medical practitioner, Healthmatters.io has been an invaluable tool for tracking my clients' data. The layout is intuitive, making it easy to monitor trends and spot patterns over time. The ability to customize reports and charts helps me present information clearly to my clients, improving communication and outcomes. It's streamlined my workflow, saving me time and providing insights at a glance. Highly recommended for any practitioner looking for a comprehensive and user-friendly solution to track patient labs!
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