Insulin At

The Insulin At analysis is a laboratory test available at one of the most modern laboratories in Belgrade, IntroLab. It is performed to measure the presence of insulin antibodies in the blood and is one of the important analyses for insulin resistance. This test is crucial for diagnosing and monitoring autoimmune conditions related to the damage of pancreatic beta cells, which are responsible for insulin production.

The Insulin At analysis is particularly clinically significant for patients using insulin as it can detect reduced insulin effects, insulin resistance, and hypoglycemia caused by high doses of insulin.

What is insulin?

Insulin is a hormone produced by the beta cells of the Langerhans islets in the endocrine pancreas. Its function is to regulate blood glucose levels by facilitating the entry of glucose into cells and storing excess glucose as an energy reserve. Insulin has a hypoglycemic effect, meaning it lowers blood sugar concentration.

Insulin determination is used in several situations:

• Assessment of insulin production by pancreatic beta cells – measuring insulin levels can provide information on the pancreas’s ability to produce insulin.
• Diagnosis of insulinoma – an insulinoma is a benign pancreatic tumor that produces large amounts of insulin. Measuring insulin levels helps in the diagnosis and monitoring of recurrence in this type of tumor.
• Control and diagnosis of diabetes mellitus – measuring insulin levels, along with additional blood sugar analyses, can be used to diagnose and monitor the treatment of diabetes, as well as to assess the need to switch from oral anti-diabetics to insulin.
• Suspicion of insulin resistance – insulin resistance is a condition where cells do not adequately respond to the action of insulin. Measuring insulin can help confirm this diagnosis.

What is insulin resistance?

Insulin resistance is a condition characterized by elevated insulin levels in the bloodstream and cell resistance to the action of this hormone. When insulin resistance is present, the body’s cells do not adequately respond to insulin, making it difficult for glucose to enter the cells from the blood. In response, the pancreas begins to produce more insulin to compensate for reduced efficiency. However, despite increased insulin production, glucose remains high in the blood. This can further lead to the development of type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes, or prediabetes.

The good news is that insulin resistance can be controlled and even “reversed” by changing lifestyle. This includes a healthy diet, physical activity, maintaining a healthy body weight, and reducing risk factors such as smoking and stress. Dietary changes involving the intake of healthy foods, as well as avoiding excessive sugar and carbohydrate intake, can help eliminate insulin resistance.

In our laboratory, the cost of the insulin resistance analysis is affordable and competitive. On the other hand, the results of blood analyses related to this metabolic disorder will be available to you in record time.