Basic Metabolic Panel (BMP)

Description

What is the Insulin Resistance Panel Test?

The Insulin Resistance Panel from BiomarkersLabs.com combines fasting glucose and fasting insulin in a single panel to enable HOMA-IR calculation — the clinical gold-standard surrogate measure of insulin resistance — providing the complete insulin resistance assessment that neither marker alone can deliver. This panel directly addresses the most significant limitation of glucose-based metabolic screening: a patient may have completely normal fasting glucose and HbA1c while being in a clinically significant state of insulin resistance, secreting two to four times the normal basal insulin to maintain those normal glucose values. This compensatory hyperinsulinaemia is driving metabolic dysfunction — atherogenic dyslipidaemia, hepatic fat accumulation, central adiposity, androgen excess in women, and progressive beta-cell exhaustion — years before glucose values become abnormal.

The Insulin Resistance Panel closes this diagnostic gap by measuring both fasting glucose and fasting insulin simultaneously, enabling HOMA-IR calculation and identifying insulin resistance at the metabolically compensated stage when lifestyle and pharmacological interventions are most effective. This panel is the cornerstone of functional and preventive medicine metabolic assessment and is indicated in all patients with metabolic syndrome criteria, PCOS, atherogenic dyslipidaemia, central obesity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, or cardiovascular risk where the insulin-resistant state needs to be objectively characterised. Results are CLIA-certified (USA) and IVDR-compliant (EU/UK), delivered to the practitioner portal within 2–4 business days.

What does the Insulin Resistance Panel measure?

Fasting Glucose — serum glucose after 12-hour fast; glycaemic status component for HOMA-IR calculation.

Fasting Insulin — serum insulin after 12-hour fast; basal insulin secretion reflecting the insulin demand required to maintain fasting normoglycaemia.

HOMA-IR (calculated) — (fasting insulin × fasting glucose) ÷ 22.5. Values above 2.0 indicate insulin resistance in most clinical frameworks; values above 3.0 indicate moderate-to-severe insulin resistance. Provides a standardised, reproducible index of insulin sensitivity for clinical decision-making and treatment monitoring.

Clinical indications

Insulin resistance assessment and HOMA-IR calculation — the definitive clinical panel for identifying insulin resistance before glucose dysregulation becomes apparent; provides the HOMA-IR index required for clinical documentation and treatment decisions.

Metabolic syndrome investigation — characterises the insulin-resistant state underpinning metabolic syndrome, quantifying the degree of insulin resistance alongside the clinical criteria of waist circumference, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, and elevated fasting glucose.

PCOS metabolic assessment — fasting insulin and HOMA-IR are essential in PCOS evaluation, quantifying the insulin-resistant component that drives hyperandrogenism and guides metformin or inositol therapy decisions.

Cardiovascular risk stratification — insulin resistance context — hyperinsulinaemia is an independent cardiovascular risk factor; HOMA-IR provides the insulin resistance context for cardiovascular risk stratification in patients with intermediate or borderline risk profiles.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) metabolic context — insulin resistance is the primary driver of hepatic fat accumulation; HOMA-IR quantifies the degree of insulin resistance in NAFLD assessment and guides lifestyle and pharmacological management.

Pre-diabetes intervention planning — in patients with HbA1c in the pre-diabetic range, HOMA-IR guides the urgency and intensity of lifestyle and pharmacological intervention by quantifying the degree of underlying insulin resistance driving glucose dysregulation.

Sample type and collection

Blood (serum). Fasting required — minimum 12 hours. Water permitted. Venepuncture at an approved collection site. Both fasting glucose and fasting insulin are collected from the same single fasting blood draw. Strict 12-hour fasting is essential for accurate insulin measurement — even small caloric intake invalidates the fasting insulin result. Strenuous exercise should be avoided for 24 hours before collection.

Turnaround time

2–4 business days from specimen receipt.

Availability

USA · EU · UK · Canada

Compliance

CLIA Certified · IVDR Compliant · CE Marked · HIPAA Compliant · GDPR Compliant · PIPEDA Compliant

How to order

Register free at BiomarkersLabs.com. Licensed practitioners only. Pay per test — no subscription required. Results are delivered directly and securely to your practitioner portal and are never released directly to patients.