Blood Test type 2 question

[tkhan01]

How do the doctors know that for type 2 people what percentage of their diabetes problem is because of their body not producing enough insulin and their cells being insensitive to it.
Isn't it theoratically possible to have only one of the above condition and still have type 2 diabetes?
I mean isn't their some sort of blood test that would measure the amount of actual insulin in the blood like a controlled blood test where a patient would eat something and they would measure a pre and post insulin levels in the blood
Like for me personally, I do not take any class of medication that cause my pancreas to release more insulin so I am very interested to know that perhaps my pancreas is working very normal compared to healthy people and maybe my only problem is the other one mentioned above.
I had read somewhere that there is a test called C-peptide but am not sure. Have any of you had such a test or know the answer to my question. Thanks for all of your feedback.

[HeatherP]

T1 diabetes is generally considered as onset before 30, and the pancreas is partially or totally destroyed.

T2 is older onset (typically), related to being overweight, and the pancreas is still producing insulin, sometimes not enough, or the body has become insensitive to it and cannot use it.

I believe the C-peptide is the definitive test, although I don't think I've ever had one. I think it tells you if your pancreas totally kaput or if you're body isn't getting enough insulin.

[tkhan01]

Hi Heather,
thanks for your reply.
You are right and that is what I want to know in my case or actually every type 2 should know how efficiently their pancreas is producing insulin. For example if for patien 1 it is 70% efficient, they better do all they can to lose the weight and continue on to diet + excercise with everything they have. On the other hand if patient 2's pancreas is only 30-40% utilized, sure they also need to do diet+excercise but it might be more realistic for them to perhaps think of going on insulin a little early and thus spare their body of complications later in their life.
I have my blood work tomorrow I will see if I can get some time to talk to the doctor about C-peptide.

[Shalyndria]

C-peptide is a subunit of insulin; that is, when insulin is produced by the beta cells of the pancreas it is initially produced as a large molecule which then splits. C-peptide is released at the same time as insulin and is used to distinguish between endogenous (secreted within the body) and exogenous (introduced to the body such as injections) insulin production. It can tell, in a Type 2 diabetic, whether any insulin is still being produced by the beta cells. Normal values are 0.5 to 2.0 ng/mL.
Yes, it is commonly known that your theory is a viable fact. One condition does not automatically precede the other. And kudos to you for questioning this!

Type 1 is generally seen age groups <=30 and is an autoimmune disorder in which the beta cells of the pancreas, which produce insulin (not to get too technical lol) are destroyed and thus no insulin is produced. The pancreas is still intact.

Shy

[muffet]

I've read recently that type 2 in children is becoming very common because more children are overweight these days. If you have a history of type 2 in your family, and an overweight child, they recommend annual screenings once puberty starts.