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January 19, 2007

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Question from Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA:

I am 22 years old and have had type 1 diabetes for three and a half years. I use an insulin pump. I had a C-Peptide test done for the insurance company and it came back as 2.9, which is normal. What does this level mean with respect to my pancreas function? If I stop taking insulin, what is likely to happen? Will my pancreas continue to work as long as I take care of myself?

Answer:

From: DTeam Staff

The C-peptide level of 2.9 reflects that your body does have the ability to make insulin. Whether you have a form of type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes is not clear as more clinical information would be necessary to make this determination. However, it is known that some people with type 1 diabetes retain their ability to make insulin. If that occurs, there is usually a better level of control as reflected in better A1c levels. The hope is that you retain this ability to make insulin as it will make it easier to treat your blood sugars in the future. I would not suggest stopping insulin. You can speak with your physician about the results and ask them to put the test results in perspective. Specifically, you may want to ask them if they think you really have type 2 diabetes. If not, you should continue to take insulin.

JTL