Glucagon Stimulation Test For C peptide Test

A C-peptide test is a regular blood test which is carried out to determine the level of insulin the body is producing. The test is essentially conducted to determine whether the concerned subject is having type 1or type 2 diabetes or whether you have resistance to insulin. This test is released at the same time as insulin. Each molecule of insulin that gets produced there is a molecule of c-peptide. C-peptide does not itself influence blood sugar. It is a useful marker of insulin production as c-peptide tends to remain longer in the blood than insulin.

It’s best to consult your doctor and ask if any specific preparations are needed for this test. Many a times doctors do advise a fasting procedure for a child and the child is advised to avoid eating or drinking for 8 hours prior to the test. Many a times, in other cases, doctors might want to monitor the levels at specific times, after intervals or after food or glucose is given. To make the test procedure easier make your child wear a T-shirt or short-sleeved shirt so that it gets easy for the technician to draw the blood.

This test is conducted to identify how much insulin is being made by the pancreas. This information helps the doctors tell the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes and further line of treatment and medication can then be decided accordingly based on the type of diabetes the person has. The c-peptide levels differ in both the kinds of diabetes, In case of type 1 diabetes, the pancreas produces little or no insulin whereas in type 2 diabetes, C-peptide levels will typically be normal or high depending on how high the pancreas work to overcome insulin resistance by producing more insulin. This test can help find the cause of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), including the incorrect use of diabetes medications.

The blood test for c-peptide test to measure the level involves fasting before the blood is drawn. Child should also not eat or drink fluids for 8 to 12 hours before the test. If at all you are on medications already to lower the blood glucose then it’s likely you will be asked to refrain from taking these in the run up to the test. A sample of blood will be taken from your arm and it shouldn’t take much more than a minute and from the drawn blood the levels of c-peptide will be measured as well as the blood glucose level.