August 18, 2008
Other
Question from Colorado, USA:
I can’t find any information about what a non-fasting C-Peptide level means in an eight-year-old child. My son was diagnosed in March 2008 with type 1 diabetes. He went into a strong honeymoon within a month. When he was at the lowest point in his insulin usage, his TDD (total daily dosage) was about three units. We asked our endocrinologist to run a C-Peptide test so we could have some baseline of what my son’s insulin production was. He had the test a few hours after breakfast because our endocrinologist asked us to give him something to eat to get him to release some insulin. We gave him a cereal bar with about 25 grams of carbohydrates and he had the test about 20 minutes later. His C-Peptide was 3.4. How does this compare to a healthy child this age?
Answer:
It just means he made some insulin. You already knew that with lowered dosage and normal A1c. You just spent a lot of money to prove it. Sorry. C-Peptide tests are helpful for research and in rare cases of recurring hypoglycemia.
SB
