Insulin
Private Insulin blood test in London for £89.99, measuring one metabolic hormone with laboratory results expected in around 1 business day.
Turnaround time
1 business day
Biomarkers count
1
Book your test
Choose Service Type
Professional phlebotomist comes to you
+ £{{ home_visit_fee }}
Visit our clinic for your test
{{ clinic_visit_fee > 0 ? '+ £' + clinic_visit_fee : 'Free' }}
Home Visit Details
Home visits require at least 24 hours notice.
Select a clinic: Sorting by distance…
{{ clinicAddress(clinic) }}
{{ clinicAddress(selectedClinic) }}
Select a date
Select an hour
Available time slots: {{ timeSlots.length}}
Overview of the Insulin
The Insulin blood test measures the concentration of Insulin circulating in the bloodstream.
The test contains 1 biomarker: Insulin.
Insulin is a hormone produced by beta cells within the pancreas.
Its principal role is to help regulate blood Glucose by signalling cells to take up Glucose and by influencing how energy is stored and released.
Insulin concentration changes substantially after eating, particularly following carbohydrate intake.
For this reason, whether the sample is fasting or non-fasting is essential when interpreting the result.
A fasting Insulin measurement can provide useful metabolic information when interpreted alongside fasting Glucose.
In Insulin resistance, tissues respond less effectively to Insulin.
The pancreas may compensate by producing more of the hormone, resulting in higher fasting Insulin even while Glucose remains relatively normal.
This compensatory phase can precede the development of type 2 diabetes.
However, one high Insulin measurement does not independently diagnose Insulin resistance.
Fasting Glucose, HbA1c, clinical risk factors and, where appropriate, a calculated Insulin Resistance index provide additional context.
Low Insulin can occur when pancreatic Insulin production is reduced, but interpretation depends strongly on the accompanying Glucose result.
C-Peptide can be particularly useful when the clinical question concerns how much Insulin the pancreas is producing naturally.
The Insulin blood test is therefore best interpreted as part of a broader assessment of Glucose regulation, pancreatic function and metabolic health.
What Does the Insulin Test Check?
This test directly measures circulating Insulin and can provide information about pancreatic hormone production and metabolic regulation. This test measures 1 biomarker.
Insulin
Measures circulating Insulin, the pancreatic hormone responsible for helping regulate Glucose uptake, storage and overall blood-sugar metabolism.
Who May Benefit From the Insulin Test?
Insulin testing may be useful when more information is required than Glucose or HbA1c alone can provide.
People undergoing investigation of possible Insulin resistance - Fasting Insulin can provide information about compensatory hyperinsulinaemia.
People with a family history of type 2 diabetes - Metabolic testing can provide additional risk information.
People with central weight gain and metabolic risk factors - Higher fasting Insulin can occur with reduced Insulin sensitivity.
People with PCOS undergoing metabolic assessment - Insulin resistance commonly coexists with PCOS.
People with abnormal Triglycerides or metabolic syndrome - Hyperinsulinaemia frequently accompanies wider metabolic abnormalities.
People with borderline Glucose despite a normal HbA1c - Fasting Insulin can provide additional physiological context.
People undergoing investigation of unexplained low blood Glucose - Insulin may be relevant, although hypoglycaemia investigation usually requires carefully timed testing.
People requiring a HOMA-IR or similar calculation - Fasting Insulin is required together with fasting Glucose.
People with a previous abnormal Insulin measurement - Repeat testing under comparable fasting conditions can assess whether the result remains abnormal.
How to Prepare
A non-fasting Insulin concentration cannot be interpreted using fasting expectations.
The laboratory and clinician should therefore know whether the sample was genuinely fasting.
Symptoms and Reasons to Consider the Insulin Test
Abnormal Insulin concentrations do not usually produce specific symptoms by themselves, and early Insulin resistance is often clinically silent.
Central weight gain with metabolic risk factors - Insulin resistance may be one contributing physiological factor.
Post-meal tiredness - This symptom is non-specific but can prompt investigation of Glucose and Insulin regulation.
Difficulty managing weight despite appropriate lifestyle measures - Metabolic assessment may provide additional information.
Irregular menstrual cycles with suspected PCOS - Insulin resistance commonly forms part of the PCOS metabolic picture.
A previous raised fasting Glucose - Measuring Insulin can provide information about the pancreatic response.
A previous borderline HbA1c - Fasting Insulin may identify compensatory metabolic changes.
Symptoms of low blood Glucose - Sweating, tremor or confusion during documented hypoglycaemia may require specialist Insulin and C-Peptide testing.
A family history of diabetes with other metabolic risk factors - Preventive metabolic assessment may be appropriate.
Symptoms such as fatigue, cravings or difficulty losing weight cannot diagnose Insulin resistance.
Severe confusion, collapse, seizure or other symptoms of significant hypoglycaemia require urgent medical assessment.
How to Book Your Insulin Test
The Insulin blood test can be booked privately as an individual metabolic hormone measurement or alongside fasting Glucose and other metabolic markers.
Choose the Insulin
Select the individual Insulin blood test online.
Select your sample collection option
Choose an in-clinic blood draw or professional home or hotel phlebotomy.
Attend your appointment
Attend after the recommended overnight fast when the purpose is metabolic or Insulin-resistance assessment.
Laboratory analysis
Your blood sample is analysed to determine the circulating Insulin concentration.
Receive your results securely
Your authorised Insulin result is delivered securely and can be interpreted alongside Glucose, HbA1c and C-Peptide where appropriate.
When Will I Receive My Results?
The current expected turnaround for the Insulin test is approximately 1 business day after your sample reaches the laboratory.
Insulin is a routinely available endocrine and metabolic measurement.
The specimen undergoes analysis, laboratory quality-control procedures and authorisation before reporting.
Turnaround starts from laboratory receipt rather than necessarily from the exact time your blood is collected.
Where Insulin is being combined with Glucose to calculate an Insulin Resistance index, the relevant accompanying result must also be available before the calculation can be interpreted.
Understanding Your Results
An Insulin result should always be interpreted according to whether the blood sample was fasting and what the accompanying Glucose concentration was.
A higher fasting Insulin result can indicate that the pancreas is producing additional Insulin to maintain Glucose control.
This pattern can occur with Insulin resistance.
However, one elevated Insulin result does not independently diagnose Insulin resistance.
A low Insulin result may be appropriate when fasting Glucose is low, but it can also raise concern about reduced pancreatic Insulin production when Glucose is high.
C-Peptide provides additional information about endogenous Insulin secretion.
For metabolic assessment, the most informative interpretation often combines fasting Insulin, fasting Glucose, HbA1c, C-Peptide and wider cardiometabolic risk factors.
Why Book With London Blood Tests?
Insulin testing provides information about the hormonal response to Glucose that cannot be obtained from HbA1c alone.
Direct Insulin measurement - Measures circulating pancreatic Insulin.
Useful for Insulin-resistance assessment - Particularly informative when obtained fasting with Glucose.
Can identify compensatory hyperinsulinaemia - Insulin may become elevated before Glucose rises significantly.
Relevant to PCOS metabolic assessment - Insulin resistance commonly coexists with PCOS.
Useful alongside C-Peptide - Provides complementary information about pancreatic Insulin production.
Fast results - Current expected turnaround is approximately 1 business day.
Private testing in London - Clinic and mobile phlebotomy options are available.
Clear pricing - The Insulin test costs £89.99.
Private Insulin Blood Test in London
London Blood Tests provides private Insulin blood testing in London for people requiring assessment of circulating Insulin and metabolic health.
The test costs £89.99 and measures 1 biomarker.
Results are expected approximately 1 business day after laboratory receipt.
For Insulin-resistance assessment, the sample is most useful when collected fasting and interpreted alongside fasting Glucose and other metabolic markers.