Evidence-Based Supplement & Herb Guides

C-Peptide Blood Test: High, Low, Normal Range, Diabetes, and Results

Learn how a C-peptide blood test measures pancreatic insulin production, what high or low results mean, how ranges vary, and how it helps evaluate diabetes and hypoglycemia.

A C-peptide blood test shows how much insulin your pancreas is making. Beta cells release insulin and C-peptide in equal amounts when they split...

Fasting Insulin Test: High Levels, Normal Range, Insulin Resistance, and Metabolic Health

Learn how fasting insulin testing relates to insulin resistance and metabolic health, why ranges vary, and what high or low results mean when compared with glucose.

A fasting insulin test measures the insulin circulating after a period without calories, usually 8 to 12 hours. It can show how hard the...

Gastrin Blood Test: High Levels, Stomach Acid, Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome, and Results

Learn why a gastrin blood test is ordered, how PPIs and stomach acid affect results, and when high levels may suggest Zollinger-Ellison syndrome or low acid.

A gastrin blood test measures a hormone that tells the stomach to produce acid. It is mainly ordered when doctors suspect Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, a...

Ghrelin Blood Test: Hunger Hormone, High and Low Levels, and Results

Learn what a ghrelin blood test measures, why total and active forms differ, and how fasting, weight loss, obesity, surgery, and sample handling affect high or low results.

A ghrelin blood test measures a stomach-derived hormone involved in hunger, meal timing, growth hormone release, glucose regulation, and energy balance. Ghrelin usually rises...

Glucagon Blood Test: High, Low, Normal Range, and Glucose Control

Learn what a glucagon blood test measures, why high or low levels occur, how ranges and assay methods differ, and when results may suggest glucagonoma or impaired glucose counter-regulation.

A glucagon blood test measures a pancreatic hormone that raises blood glucose when it begins to fall. Alpha cells release glucagon during fasting, exercise,...

Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) Test: Incretin Hormone, Diabetes, and Results

Learn what a GLP-1 test measures, why active and total results differ, how meal testing works, and how to interpret high or low GLP-1 levels in context.

A glucagon-like peptide-1 test measures GLP-1, a short-lived gut hormone released after food reaches the intestine. GLP-1 helps the pancreas release insulin when glucose...

Glucose-Dependent Insulinotropic Peptide (GIP) Test: Incretin Hormone and Results

Learn what a GIP test measures, how active and total GIP differ, why meal timing and sample handling matter, and what high or low results may mean.

A glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide test measures GIP, an incretin hormone released mainly from K cells in the upper small intestine after eating. GIP helps...

HOMA-IR Test: Insulin Resistance Score, Fasting Insulin, and Results

Calculate and understand HOMA-IR, including fasting requirements, formulas, common cutoffs, causes of high or low scores, limitations, and follow-up testing.

HOMA-IR is a calculated estimate of insulin resistance based on fasting glucose and fasting insulin measured from the same blood draw. A higher score...

Hypoglycemia Hormone Test Panel: Insulin, C-Peptide, Proinsulin, Beta-Hydroxybutyrate, and Results

Understand a hypoglycemia hormone panel, including insulin, C-peptide, proinsulin, beta-hydroxybutyrate, critical-sample timing, result patterns, and next steps.

A hypoglycemia hormone panel is a group of blood tests collected while plasma glucose is genuinely low. The core measurements—glucose, insulin, C-peptide, proinsulin, and...

Insulin Blood Test: High, Low, Normal Range, Insulin Resistance, and Results

Learn how an insulin blood test is used, what fasting ranges mean, why insulin may be high or low, and how results relate to insulin resistance, diabetes, and hypoglycemia.

An insulin blood test measures the amount of insulin in serum or plasma at a specific moment. Insulin is released by pancreatic beta cells...

Insulin Resistance Blood Test Panel: Fasting Insulin, Glucose, C-Peptide, HOMA-IR, and Results

Understand an insulin resistance panel with fasting insulin, glucose, C-peptide, and HOMA-IR, including result patterns, limits, preparation, and follow-up.

An insulin resistance blood test panel combines fasting insulin and glucose with calculated HOMA-IR and, in some panels, C-peptide. The tests show how much...

Insulin/C-Peptide Ratio Test: Exogenous Insulin Use, Insulin Production, and Results

Learn how the insulin/C-peptide molar ratio is calculated and interpreted during hypoglycemia, including exogenous insulin patterns, endogenous secretion, assay limits, and follow-up tests.

The insulin/C-peptide ratio is a calculated laboratory value used mainly during the investigation of documented hypoglycemia. Insulin and C-peptide are released together when the...

Leptin Blood Test: High, Low, Obesity, Metabolic Health, and Results

Understand what a leptin blood test measures, why levels may be high or low, how obesity and leptin resistance affect results, and when specialized follow-up is appropriate.

A leptin blood test measures a hormone made mainly by fat cells that helps the brain assess long-term energy stores. Leptin usually rises as...

Pancreatic Hormone Test Panel: Insulin, C-Peptide, Proinsulin, Glucagon, and Results

Learn how insulin, C-peptide, proinsulin, and glucagon are used in a pancreatic hormone test panel, what result patterns mean, and why timing and assay context matter.

A pancreatic hormone test panel measures selected hormones made by islet cells, commonly insulin, C-peptide, proinsulin, and glucagon. These tests can help investigate documented...

Pancreatic Polypeptide Test: High Levels, Pancreatic Function, and Results

Learn what a pancreatic polypeptide test measures, why levels may be high, how fasting and age affect results, and when tumor or vagal-function follow-up is appropriate.

A pancreatic polypeptide test measures a 36-amino-acid hormone released mainly by specialized cells in the pancreas. Pancreatic polypeptide rises after eating, during exercise, and...

Proinsulin Blood Test: High Levels, Insulin Production, and Results

Learn what a proinsulin blood test measures, why levels may be high, how results help evaluate insulin production and hypoglycemia, and when insulinoma follow-up is needed.

A proinsulin blood test measures the precursor molecule that pancreatic beta cells process into insulin and C-peptide. Healthy beta cells convert most proinsulin before...

Somatostatin Blood Test: High Levels, Pancreatic Hormone, and Results

Understand what a somatostatin blood test measures, why levels may be high, how somatostatinoma affects glucose and digestion, and what follow-up testing is needed.

A somatostatin blood test measures a hormone that acts as a broad inhibitor of endocrine and digestive activity. Somatostatin is produced by delta cells...

Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (VIP) Test: High Levels, Diarrhea, and Results

Learn when a VIP blood test is used for high-volume watery diarrhea, how high results support VIPoma, and why potassium loss, specimen handling, and imaging matter.

A vasoactive intestinal peptide test measures VIP, a neuropeptide that relaxes smooth muscle and stimulates secretion of water and electrolytes into the intestine. The...

Androgen Deficiency Blood Test Panel: Testosterone, SHBG, LH, FSH, Symptoms, and Results

Understand an androgen deficiency blood test panel, including testosterone, SHBG, free testosterone, LH, FSH, result patterns, causes, preparation, and follow-up.

An androgen deficiency blood test panel looks beyond a single testosterone number. It combines total testosterone with sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), free or calculated...

Androstenedione Test in Men: High, Low, Adrenal, Testicular, and Results

Learn what an androstenedione test in men measures, why levels may be high or low, how adrenal and testicular sources are evaluated, and which follow-up tests help.

An androstenedione test measures a steroid hormone made by both the adrenal glands and testes. Androstenedione is weaker than testosterone, but it is an...