A patient seated in the chair before a blood draw
In person

Blood Sugar & Insulin Panel

A1c, fasting glucose, and fasting insulin, from one blood draw.

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  • 2,000+ lab locations. Find one near you
  • Nothing due at the lab. FSA / HSA accepted
  • Ordered by a licensed clinician

At a glance

Collection
Blood draw
A standard blood draw at the lab.
Preparation
Fasting preferred
Fast 8 to 12 hours. Water is fine.
Results
1 to 2 days
Typical turnaround after your visit.
Where
2,000+ lab locations
Nationwide, with nothing due at the lab.

About this test

A1c shows your average blood sugar over about three months, while fasting glucose and fasting insulin show where things stand at the time of your draw. Insulin can rise while blood sugar still sits in range, so the three are read side by side. Fast 8 to 12 hours; water is fine.

For adults 18 and older. Test availability varies by lab location.

Who should take this test?

For adults who want to look at blood sugar and insulin together, including people with prediabetes questions, a family history of diabetes, or PCOS questions.

Ask about this test

Not sure this is the right test?

AI-generated. For information only, not medical advice. Call 911 for an emergency.

What does this test measure?

Read together, these results show your current blood sugar, your three-month average, and how much insulin your body is making to keep blood sugar in range.

Blood sugar

Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c)
Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. As sugar circulates in your blood, some of it attaches to hemoglobin and stays for the life of the cell, about three months. HbA1c is the percentage of hemoglobin with sugar attached, reflecting your average blood sugar over that time.
Why it’s measured: To see your average blood sugar over roughly the past three months.
Insulin (fasting)
Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that helps move sugar from your blood into your cells. A fasting insulin level shows how much insulin your body is making to keep blood sugar in range. Read with fasting glucose, it can add context when insulin resistance is a question.
Why it’s measured: Adds context on insulin resistance when read with fasting glucose.

Metabolic

Glucose
Glucose is the sugar your body uses as its main source of energy. The level in your blood at the moment of the draw rises after eating and falls between meals, so a fasting sample is the usual way to read it. It is commonly checked when blood sugar or diabetes is a question.
Why it’s measured: To see your blood sugar at the time of the draw, ideally after fasting.

How it works

  1. Step 1

    Order online

    Check out here. A licensed clinician in your state reviews your order and sends it to the lab.

  2. Step 2

    Visit a lab

    Bring a photo ID to any of 2,000+ lab locations. Fast 8 to 12 hours. Water is fine. Nothing is due at the lab.

  3. Step 3

    Get your results

    Results post to your account, usually in 1 to 2 days, each number next to the lab’s reference range.

Find a lab near you

Choose from 2,000+ lab locations nationwide. Your order works at any of them.

What your results tell you

A1c is reported as a percentage, glucose in mg/dL, and insulin in its own unit, each compared with the lab’s reference range.

  • Each marker next to the lab’s reference range
  • Explained in plain language
  • A licensed clinician reviews your order and, if appropriate, orders the test.
  • A lab report you can download and share

Only a healthcare provider can diagnose prediabetes or diabetes, usually after a repeat test. Share your results with yours.

Clinical-grade testing, from the comfort of home.

From the lab to your report, every step of our process meets the gold standard in medical testing.

  • CLIA-certified labs

    Every lab we partner with is certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments, meeting both state and federal standards with regular independent inspections.

  • We protect your health data

    We protect your health data with encryption and do not sell it. Some results must be reported to public health authorities by law. See our Privacy Notice.

  • Rigorous quality assurance

    All partner labs run regular internal quality checks, participate in proficiency testing, and comply with federal and state lab regulations.

  • Clinician-reviewed reports

    Results are reviewed by an independent, licensed clinician.

Questions

Common questions.

Anything else, our care team answers by phone, text, or email.

The lab requires a fasting sample for insulin, and fasting glucose is read against fasting ranges. Eating raises both, so a recent meal or sweet drink can make the results hard to interpret.

Fast 8 to 12 hours before your visit. Water is fine. A1c reflects about three months, so one meal does not change it.

Insulin moves sugar from your blood into your cells. When cells respond less to insulin, the body can make more of it to keep blood sugar in range.

That means insulin may be higher while glucose and A1c still look typical. Seeing all three together gives a healthcare provider more context on how your body handles sugar.

A1c depends on the usual lifespan of red blood cells. Anemia, recent blood loss or a transfusion, or some inherited hemoglobin differences can shift it up or down. That is one reason A1c is read alongside a fasting glucose result, and why a provider may use a different test in some situations.

These results show a three-⁠month average and a single fasting snapshot. They do not show how your blood sugar swings after meals or through the day, and one set of results does not diagnose diabetes or insulin resistance. A healthcare provider can decide whether repeat or other tests make sense.

Lab tests are informational and don’t diagnose conditions on their own. Available to adults 18 and older; test availability varies by lab location. A licensed clinician reviews your order and, if appropriate, orders the test. All testing is performed at CLIA-certified laboratories. Not for emergencies: if you think you may be having a medical emergency, call 911.