What does the Lipoprotein Insulin Resistance Score (LP-IR) test measure?

Why is Lipoprotein Insulin Resistance Score (LP-IR) measured?

LP-IR identifies insulin resistance in patients whose fasting glucose and HbA1c are still normal or only mildly elevated, capturing the dyslipidaemia of prediabetes and metabolic syndrome before overt hyperglycaemia. An elevated LP-IR score prompts earlier lifestyle intervention, consideration of insulin-sensitising therapy, and closer cardiovascular risk monitoring. Because it is derived from lipoproteins already being measured for cardiovascular assessment, it adds metabolic context without additional specimen or cost, though its proprietary nature means it cannot be compared across different laboratories or LPP methods.

Reference ranges

Standard reference

SpectraCell reports LP-IR on a scale where higher scores indicate greater insulin resistance; score >45 suggests insulin-resistant lipoprotein pattern.

Functional medicine optimal

Functional practitioners typically consider LP-IR <25 as metabolically healthy, 25–44 as intermediate, and ≥45 as insulin-resistant, though thresholds should be verified with SpectraCell's current scoring algorithm.

Units

Score

Reference ranges vary by laboratory and assay platform. Interpret in context of the issuing laboratory's stated range.