Measuring Insulin Sensitivity

• Different ways of determining this include measuring the degree of insulin output to determine pancreatic stress, measuring lipid hormones such as leptin and adiponectin, the patient's degree of inflammation, and measuring fatty acid metabolism. 
• Measuring one's sugar levels can be done at home. Diabetic patients do so regularly. One method here is using a blood glucose meter. This device has a small needle that is used to prick the finger and draw a drop of blood. The screen display shows the test results. More advanced devices indicate the date and the time and can gather data.
• Another method is measuring sugar levels in urine. This test usually detects levels that are 10 mmol/L (180 mg/dL) and over. For this test, one would need a urine test strip and a container for collecting the urine. It is important for each patient to consult with their doctor to determine the best time to conduct this test.

Summary of our Early Findings

• Our one-hour research was able to determine that two tests that one can conduct at home would be to use the blood glucose meter and to test the sugar level in one's urine levels.
• When researching how to measure insulin sensitivity, our research path determined that the amount of blood sugar in the blood reveals that there could be some resistance to the insulin being produced.