test Details

Type 2 Diabetes, Hypertension, Cardiovascular Disease

HOMA-IR test tells you how much insulin needs to be produced by your body to maintain a normal blood sugar level. High insulin resistance is common among people who are in an early stage of type 2 diabetes and are at risk of developing other chronic diseases.

Sometimes, a person’s blood sugar levels are normal, but insulin levels remain high. This causes an imbalance in the levels of blood sugar because the feedback mechanism is disrupted.

When the cells are not responsive to the insulin produced, the body produces more insulin to control blood sugar levels. This condition is called insulin resistance.

HOMA-IR (Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance) is done to know how much insulin your pancreas needs to secrete to control your blood sugar levels.

HOMA-IR test is an indirect type of test. This means that it is calculated from your fasting glucose and insulin levels. It is an assay of the risk of developing diabetes and the body’s response to treatment with oral hypoglycemic agents, drugs that reduce the glucose level in the body.

Insulin levels are not always reliable indicators of abnormalities in blood sugar levels. That’s why a blood sugar test might turn out to be completely normal, even if you are suffering from insulin resistance.

This test is prescribed when there is reason to believe that you may have a diabetic condition or are pre-diabetic to know the insulin resistance.

A doctor may also order a HOMA-IR test for the following reasons: To help in finding out the cause of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), To check how the beta-cells of the pancreas are functioning., To help in the diagnosis of insulin-producing tumours that may be present in the pancreas, To help decide when a patient with type 2 diabetes should start taking insulin.

In India, Type 2 Diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. 2.4% of the rural population and 11.6% of the urban population have Type 2 diabetes. The HOMA-IR test helps to evaluate the progression of a developing diabetic condition; hence, an early diagnosis and proper treatment protocol need to be devised.

Other Names of the HOMA-IR Test

• Homeostatic Model Assessment
• Insulin Resistance Test
• β-cell function Test
• Insulin Sensitivity Test
• HOMA Index

What Does the HOMA IR Test Measure? Who Is It Prescribed For?

Homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) assesses beta-cell functioning and insulin resistance during fasting. It measures insulin or C-peptide concentrations. C-peptide indicates the type of diabetes the patient is suffering from.

Doctors may prescribe the HOMA-IR Index test to:

• People with a history of diabetes to measure the longitudinal changes of insulin resistance the particular patient has gone through in the course of the disease.
• People who are pre-diabetic individuals.

The range for the HOMA-IR Index test is described below:

• The optimal range of insulin sensitivity is around 0.5–1.4.
• Therefore, less than 1 means that the patient is insulin sensitive, indicating normal results.
• Above 1.9 is indicative of early insulin resistance
• Above 2.9 is indicative of significant insulin resistance

A low HOMA-IR test score means that your body is sensitive to insulin, and a small amount of the hormone insulin is sufficient to keep your blood sugar in optimum balance.

A high HOMA-IR test score means that you are more resistant to the effect of insulin. If the level is above 2, it means you are more resistant to insulin. High insulin resistance or low insulin sensitivity is indicative of Type 2 Diabetes.

The blood sample is withdrawn from a vein in your arm using a needle.

Test Preparation

Before the HOMA-IR test, the patient needs to undergo at least 12 hours of fasting. No other special preparation is required.

HOMA-IR Index Test Inclusions: What Parameters Are Included?

Following are the parameters included in the HOMA Insulin Resistance Index test

• Insulin (Fasting): Insulin is a hormone produced by the beta-cells of the pancreas. Food is converted into glucose in the body. Insulin acts on glucose and helps control blood sugar levels. Insulin transports glucose into muscles, fatty tissue, etc., where it is used up as energy. The parameter measured here is the level of insulin in a state of fasting.
• Fasting Glucose: The amount of glucose present in the blood during a state of fasting
• Beta-Cell Function: Type 2 Diabetes is characterised by a progressive failure in the functioning of beta cells of the pancreas. Thus, it is crucial to test the functioning of beta-cells in the pancreas.
• Insulin Sensitivity: Insulin sensitivity measures how sensitive the body is to the effects of insulin.
• HOMA Index: HOMA-IR (Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance) is an index used to determine if a patient has insulin resistance, that is, to measure the risk of developing a diabetic condition.

In most healthy people, insulin resistance mainly occurs due to overeating and lack of physical activity or exercise. Eating too much and being inactive or having a sedentary lifestyle can cause a buildup of fat in the liver and muscles, which makes these tissues less responsive to insulin.

Other causes of insulin resistance are stress, pregnancy, and some other disorders and diseases.

These are listed below:

1. Overeating leads to an excess of glucose in the body and leads to insulin resistance.
2. Obesity is one of the most common causes of insulin resistance, as well as type 2 diabetes.
3. Leading a sedentary lifestyle and a lack of physical activity.
4. Stress significantly impairs insulin function as it releases the stress hormone, also known as cortisol.
5. Lack of optimum sleep or rest.
6. Sleep Apnea is an obstructive condition that may cause insulin resistance and diabetes.
7. Starvation leads to insulin resistance in about 2 to 3 days.
8. Some hormonal disorders may impair insulin function.
9. An enlarged pancreas may also lead to insulin resistance.
10. Certain genetic disorders may disrupt insulin function.

How Frequently Should You Take HOMA-IR Index Test?

You should take this test when the blood sugar levels show an imbalance. It is not a routinely performed test. The HOMA Insulin Resistance Index measures how much insulin is required to maintain homeostasis in the body’s blood sugar. A random HOMA Insulin Resistance Index test shows insulin sensitivity and the relationship or equation of insulin and glucose in the patient’s body.