Weight and Metabolic Blood Test

A standard screen measures your blood sugar. It does not measure what your body is doing to keep it there. Insulin is the hormone doing that work, and it can run high for years while glucose still reads perfectly normal, because the insulin is succeeding. By the time glucose starts to drift, that compensation has usually been going on for a long time.

This is why the usual advice can feel like it is not working. Two people can eat the same and move the same and end up in different places, and a normal glucose result offers no explanation for it. Measuring fasting insulin alongside fasting glucose lets your doctor calculate HOMA-IR, a single number describing how hard your body is having to push. This is a screening panel and not a diagnosis: it describes how your metabolism is behaving, and does not diagnose diabetes, thyroid disease or any hormonal condition.

01

How Hard Your Body Is Pushing

Fasting insulin with fasting glucose lets your doctor calculate HOMA-IR. It is the number that explains a normal glucose result.

Insulin and HOMA-IR

02

Where Your Blood Sugar Actually Sits

HbA1c gives a three month average and fasting glucose gives today. Together they show a trend rather than a single moment.

HbA1c and glucose

03

Whether Your Thyroid Is Involved

An underactive thyroid slows metabolism and is a common, treatable and easily missed contributor to weight that will not shift.

TSH

04

Particle Count, Not Just Cholesterol

Apolipoprotein B counts the particles that build plaque. In metabolic problems it often tells a different story from LDL alone.

ApoB

05

Whether There Is Inflammation

High sensitivity CRP reads low grade inflammation, which commonly travels alongside metabolic changes.

hs-CRP

06

How Your Liver Is Coping

ALT and AST in the liver panel. Fat accumulating in the liver is closely associated with metabolic change and is usually silent.

Liver Function Test

What Is Included

The Metabolic Module, Plus A Full Base Panel

One blood draw and one urine sample. Results in 4 working days.

15 test groups

Serum Insulin, fasting

The marker this panel exists for.

Fasting Blood Sugar

Read with insulin to calculate HOMA-IR.

HbA1c

Three month average blood sugar.

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone

Thyroid function, which sets metabolic rate.

Apolipoprotein B

Atherogenic particle count.

High Sensitivity CRP

Low grade inflammation.

Lipid Studies

Cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, LDL, non-HDL.

Liver Function Test

Includes ALT and AST, relevant to fat in the liver.

Renal Profile and uACR

Kidney function, and early vascular damage.

Full Blood Count and Urine FEME

Blood cell lines, plus a urinary screen.

AIP, CRI-1, CRI-2

Three calculated indices. No extra blood.

The full panel, grouped by what it looks at. The first group is the metabolic core that distinguishes this panel. The rest is a complete base health screen taken from the same draw.

Reference ranges vary by laboratory and are printed on your report. A result outside a range is a reason to discuss it with your doctor, not a diagnosis on its own.

How It Works

1

Enquire

Message us with what you have tried and what has not worked.

2

Book Your Draw

We confirm a collection centre and time. One visit covers blood and urine.

3

Samples Processed

Run at an accredited Malaysian laboratory. Results in 4 working days.

4

Doctor Review

A doctor works out your HOMA-IR and explains what the numbers mean together.

Fast for 12 hours before your draw. Water is fine. The fast matters more on this panel than most, because both insulin and glucose are fasting measurements and eating beforehand makes them uninterpretable. Take your usual medications unless a doctor has said otherwise, and tell us if you take metformin, steroids or anything for blood sugar when you book. This is a screening panel: it does not diagnose diabetes, thyroid disease or any hormonal condition.

Buy first, then book. Once your order is confirmed, message us on WhatsApp to arrange your appointment. Our team contacts every buyer within 1 working day of a successful order, so you do not need to chase us.

The markers in this panel are established subjects of clinical research. The references below are provided so you can read the source material yourself. They describe the markers, and are not evidence of any outcome from taking this test.

Matthews DR et al. Homeostasis model assessment: insulin resistance and beta-cell function from fasting plasma glucose and insulin concentrations in man. Diabetologia 1985;28(7):412-419. doi.org/10.1007/BF00280883
Sniderman AD et al. Apolipoprotein B Particles and Cardiovascular Disease. JAMA Cardiology 2019;4(12):1287. doi.org/10.1001/jamacardio.2019.3780
Biondi B, Cappola AR, Cooper DS. Subclinical Hypothyroidism: A Review. JAMA 2019;322(2):153. doi.org/10.1001/jama.2019.9052
Chalasani N et al. The diagnosis and management of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: Practice guidance from the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. Hepatology 2018;67(1):328-357. doi.org/10.1002/hep.29367

Frequently Asked Questions

Insulin resistance test Malaysia: what does this panel measure?

It measures 15 test groups from one blood draw and one urine sample. The metabolic core is fasting insulin, fasting glucose, HbA1c and TSH, plus Apolipoprotein B and hs-CRP. Your doctor calculates HOMA-IR from the insulin and glucose results. The rest is a complete base health screen. Every test is listed in the chart above.

What is HOMA-IR and will it be on my report?

HOMA-IR is a calculation, not a separate test. It comes from your fasting insulin and fasting glucose, both included here, and expresses in one number how hard your body is working to keep blood sugar normal. Your doctor works it out and explains it during your consultation, so you get the figure whether or not the laboratory prints it.

My blood sugar was normal. Why would I test insulin?

Because a normal glucose result does not tell you what it cost to get there. Insulin can run high for years while glucose stays in range, because the insulin is doing its job. Measuring only glucose means you see the outcome and not the effort, which is why this is the single marker most often missing from an ordinary screen.

Will this diagnose diabetes or PCOS?

No. This is a screening panel and it does not diagnose any condition. Diabetes has specific diagnostic criteria a doctor applies, and PCOS requires reproductive hormones this panel does not include. What it does is show whether your metabolism is under strain, which is often the reason someone gets referred for either assessment.

Do I really need to fast for 12 hours?

Yes, and it matters more here than on most panels. Insulin and glucose are both fasting measurements, and eating beforehand makes them uninterpretable rather than just slightly off. Plain water is fine. A morning appointment is easiest, since the fast runs mostly through the night.

How long do results take?

4 working days from the date of your draw. Your doctor e-consultation is arranged once all results are in, so insulin, glucose and HbA1c are discussed together rather than in pieces as individual markers return.

Will this tell me how to lose weight?

Not directly, and it would be dishonest to say otherwise. This panel measures and explains, it does not treat. What it can do is show whether something measurable is working against you, such as an underactive thyroid or a metabolism under strain, which changes what advice is actually appropriate for you.

Ujian ini untuk siapa?

Ujian ini sesuai untuk anda yang susah kurus walaupun sudah menjaga pemakanan, atau yang gula dalam darahnya dikatakan normal tetapi berat terus naik. Ia merangkumi 15 kumpulan ujian termasuk insulin puasa, satu ujian yang jarang dimasukkan dalam saringan biasa. Berpuasa 12 jam diperlukan. Ini adalah saringan, bukan diagnosis.

This screening panel is provided for health information purposes and does not constitute medical diagnosis, treatment or advice. Screening is not diagnosis. This panel does not diagnose diabetes, prediabetes, thyroid disease, polycystic ovary syndrome or any other condition, and it is not a weight loss treatment or programme. A result outside the reference range requires clinical follow up with a qualified doctor, and a result within the reference range does not exclude a metabolic condition. HOMA-IR is a calculated value derived from fasting insulin and fasting glucose and is interpreted by a doctor alongside your other results. Fasting for 12 hours is required, and results taken without fasting cannot be interpreted. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting, stopping or changing any medication, supplement or diet.