June 7, 2001
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Question from Melbourne, Australia:
I have put on a dramatic amount of weight in the last few years, without any change in diet. Recently I had some tests performed and my C-peptide was 1.48 (Normal:0.18 – 0.63) which apparently is way above the normal range. Does this automatically mean I am producing too much insulin? What possible causes could there be for such a high reading?
Answer:
It is not clear to me from your question whether you have been diagnosed with diabetes or not. As individuals gain weight, there is an increase in insulin resistance. This is compensated by an increase in insulin secretion. The increased C-peptide value you are seeing may be an indicator of increasing insulin resistance. In other words, it may not be a primary problem, but it may be secondary to the weight gain.
JTL
