How to determine if pancreatic islet function is impaired

Diabetes is a common chronic disease, and its occurrence is closely related to impaired pancreatic islet function. The pancreatic islets are part of the endocrine part of the pancreas, and they mainly secrete insulin and glucagon. Insulin has the effect of lowering blood sugar, while glucagon has the effect of raising blood sugar. When the pancreatic islet function is impaired, insufficient insulin secretion or excessive glucagon secretion will lead to abnormal increase or fluctuation of blood sugar, thus causing diabetes. The main methods for judging impaired pancreatic islet function include the following:

Blood sugar test: Blood sugar test is the most common method to determine impaired pancreatic function. The normal fasting blood sugar level is between 3.9-6.1mmol/L, and the blood sugar level 2 hours after a meal is between 4.4-7.8mmol/L. If the fasting blood sugar level exceeds 7.0mmol/L or the blood sugar level 2 hours after a meal exceeds 11.1mmol/L, it can be determined that the pancreatic function is impaired.

Insulin release test: Insulin release test is to stimulate pancreatic beta cells to release insulin by oral glucose or intravenous glucose injection, so as to judge the condition of impaired pancreatic function. If insulin release is insufficient or delayed, it means that pancreatic function is impaired.

C-peptide release test: C-peptide release test is also one of the methods to determine the damage of pancreatic islet function. C-peptide is a non-covalently bound peptide substance released after proinsulin is cleaved, and its release amount is proportional to the amount of insulin released. By detecting the amount of C-peptide released, the function of pancreatic beta cells can be reflected.

Glucose tolerance test: Glucose tolerance test is to test the body's tolerance to glucose by taking glucose orally or intravenously. If the glucose tolerance test result is abnormal, it means that the pancreatic function is impaired and there is a possibility of diabetes.

Insulin resistance test: The insulin resistance test is to determine the body's sensitivity to insulin by injecting insulin and measuring blood sugar changes. If the insulin resistance test is abnormal, it means that the pancreatic function is impaired and there is a possibility of diabetes.

In addition to the above methods, there are other methods that can also determine whether the islet function is impaired. For example, imaging examinations such as pancreatic CT and magnetic resonance imaging can detect pancreatic lesions, and serum anti-islet cell antibodies, anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies and other autoantibody tests can assist in the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. When judging whether the islet function is impaired, the following points should be noted:

Blood sugar testing is the most common method to determine if pancreatic function is impaired, but multiple tests are required to confirm the diagnosis.

Methods such as insulin release test, C-peptide release test, glucose tolerance test and insulin resistance test can more accurately determine the extent of impaired pancreatic function, but they need to be performed under the guidance of a doctor.

In addition to blood glucose testing and related tests, doctors also need to consider the patient's medical history, family history, clinical symptoms and other examination results to comprehensively judge the extent of pancreatic islet function impairment.

For patients who have been diagnosed with diabetes, determining the extent of impaired pancreatic function is important for formulating treatment plans and adjusting drug dosages.

In short, methods for judging impaired islet function include blood sugar testing, insulin release test, C-peptide release test, glucose tolerance test and insulin resistance test. These methods need to be performed under the guidance of a doctor and combined with the patient's medical history, family history, clinical symptoms and other test results. For patients who have been diagnosed with diabetes, judging the condition of impaired islet function is of great significance for formulating treatment plans and adjusting drug dosages.

Ji Yujuan, Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Cangzhou Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Hebei Province