Why We Can’t Reliably Test Insulin at Home—And Why That Matters
Checking glucose at home
Most people know about checking blood sugar. You can prick your finger or wear a continuous glucose monitor. But what about insulin—the hormone that moves sugar into your cells? According to Dr. Radu Kramer of Comprehensive Healing MD, that’s where things get frustrating.
"We cannot measure insulin at home. It requires sophisticated equipment—and not even every lab can do it reliably."
This creates a serious blind spot. You could have normal blood sugar levels, but your insulin might be elevated—quietly pushing your body toward insulin resistance and, eventually, diabetes.
Why Testing Insulin Is So Difficult
Measuring insulin isn't like checking your glucose. Insulin levels fluctuate quickly and need to be tested under specific conditions, usually while fasting.
Even then, results can vary from day to day.
Challenges in Insulin Testing:
Requires specialized lab equipment not widely available
Cannot be done with home test kits
Must be done while fasting for accuracy
Often overlooked unless a doctor knows exactly what to look for
This means people in early phases of metabolic disease often go undiagnosed until more serious damage has been done.
Pain Points for Patients:
"Why am I gaining weight when I eat healthy?"
"Why do I feel exhausted even though my blood sugar is normal?"
"Why is my doctor only testing glucose—but not insulin?"
"Why are my cravings out of control when I just ate an hour ago?"
These questions point to insulin resistance—often missed because insulin itself isn't being measured.
What Can Be Done?
While you can’t test insulin at home, there are ways to get a clearer picture of your metabolic health:
Ask your doctor to test fasting insulin and C-peptide
Track your Hemoglobin A1C over time for trends
Look at lipid panels—some abnormalities correlate with insulin resistance
Consider specialized labs or functional medicine providers
Dr. Kramer recommends taking action based on the full picture—not just blood sugar readings. He believes early signs like fatigue, brain fog, or stubborn belly fat are reason enough to start making changes.
"If all you do is identify the trend toward a more serious disease, you’ve already made progress."
Don’t Wait for a Diagnosis
Insulin resistance often starts years before blood sugar ever rises. Waiting for a traditional diagnosis means losing valuable time.
If you feel like something is off—even if your labs say you’re “normal”—don’t ignore it. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Radu Kramer at Comprehensive Healing MD and get a deeper look at what’s really going on inside your body.
You deserve clarity. You deserve answers. And you don’t have to wait for things to get worse.
Dr. Radu Kramer
201-967-0800
800 Kinderkamack Rd, Suite 205N,
Oradell, NJ 07649