Also Known As
Insulin C-peptide
This article was last reviewed on
This article waslast modified on 23 August 2021.
At a Glance
Why Get Tested?

To monitor insulin production by the beta cells in the pancreas and to help determine the cause of hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) or assessment of insulin resistance (which can help diagnose the type of diabetes mellitus a person has or the severity of the metabolic syndrome).

When To Get Tested?

If you have diabetes mellitus and your doctor wants to see if you are producing any of your own insulin, if you are thought to be insulin resistant (when your body does not respond properly to insulin), or to help establish if it is time to add insulin injections to your current treatment. Your doctor also may request a C-peptide blood test if you have an episode of low blood sugar, called hypoglycaemia.

Sample Required?

A blood sample taken from a vein in your arm and sometimes a 24-hour urine sample is taken, or urine sample 2 hours after your largest meal of the day is taken.

Test Preparation Needed?

Fasting for 8 to 10 hours before blood testing may be required, alternatively a meal stimulus or symptoms present thought to be due to hypoglycaemia.

On average it takes 7 working days for the blood test results to come back from the hospital, depending on the exact tests requested. Some specialist test results may take longer, if samples have to be sent to a reference (specialist) laboratory. The X-ray & scan results may take longer. If you are registered to use the online services of your local practice, you may be able to access your results online. Your GP practice will be able to provide specific details.

If the doctor wants to see you about the result(s), you will be offered an appointment. If you are concerned about your test results, you will need to arrange an appointment with your doctor so that all relevant information including age, ethnicity, health history, signs and symptoms, laboratory and other procedures (radiology, endoscopy, etc.), can be considered.

Lab Tests Online-UK is an educational website designed to provide patients and carers with information on laboratory tests used in medical care. We are not a laboratory and are unable to comment on an individual's health and treatment.

Reference ranges are dependent on many factors, including patient age, sex, sample population, and test method, and numeric test results can have different meanings in different laboratories.

For these reasons, you will not find reference ranges for the majority of tests described on this web site. The lab report containing your test results should include the relevant reference range for your test(s). Please consult your doctor or the laboratory that performed the test(s) to obtain the reference range if you do not have the lab report.

For more information on reference ranges, please read Reference Ranges and What They Mean.

What is being tested?

This test measures the amount of C-peptide in a blood or urine sample. C-peptide and the hormone insulin are created from a larger molecule called proinsulin, and stored in the beta cells of the pancreas. When insulin is released into the bloodstream to help transport glucose into the body's cells (to be used for energy), equal amounts of C-peptide also are released. This makes C-peptide useful as a marker of insulin production and indeed better in some cases than insulin as it is more stable in the blood (insulin immediately binding to receptors and therefore the concentration in the blood rapidly falling).

C-peptide can be used to help evaluate the production of endogenous insulin (insulin made by the body's beta cells) and to help differentiate it from exogenous insulin (insulin that is not produced by the body, e.g. injected insulin). This differentiation can be used to help diagnose and monitor a variety of conditions.

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