C-Peptide Test to Distinguish Type 1 Diabetes from Type 2 Diabetes

Type 1 and type 2 are the two most common types of Diabetes. Although both of the types are characterized by high blood glucose, the pathogenesis of the two differs. C-peptide testing is a helpful test which will determine whether one has Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes. The following will give a clear explanation on this.

What is a c-peptide? C-peptide is released at the time as insulin. As we know, insulin is a kind of hormone produced by the beta cells in pancreas and it helps the body use and control the amount of sugar (glucose) in the blood. Insulin allows glucose to enter body cells where it is used for energy. The level of C-peptide is useful maker for how much insulin is being made by the pancreas because C-peptide tend to remain longer in blood than insulin. C-peptide result, however, doesn’t reflect the blood sugar level of the body.

A C-peptide is often done when Diabetes has just been found but it is not clear whether it is type 1 or type 2 Diabetes. To measure the level of c-peptide the people will be asked to fast for 8 to 12 hours before the test. In addition, if you use sugar lowering medicines to lower blood glucose you will need to stop the medicine in the run up to the test. The level of c-peptide will be measured as well as fasting blood glucose.

A normal range for a c-peptide test is: 0.51 to 2.72 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL), or also expressed as 0.17-0.90 nanomoles per litre (nmol/L). Low results of c-peptide and high blood glucose could be a sign for type 1 Diabetes. In comparison, a person with type 2 diabetes will have a high c-peptide test result as well as hyperglycemia. The reason is that, type 1 Diabetes is characterized pancreatic destruction and the production of insulin is cut off, which means the c-peptide level is also low. In type 2 Diabetes, however, insulin production is not obviously reduced, however, insulin sensitivity is decreased so the blood sugar also ranks high.

If you are still concerned about the meaning of c-peptide test or want to learn more about it, you may email to kidneycares@hotmail.com directly to get an expert doctor’s reply.