Glucose Clamp Technique

Glucose clamping is a technique that measures your insulin sensitivity or how efficient your body is at metabolizing glucose. Glucose clamping is done to determine if you are insulin-resistant, and if you are, how much insulin your body requires to properly metabolize glucose.

Glucose Clamp Technique

• The term "clamp" is used because specific medical treatments are executed to keep your glucose level at a specific concentration. During the hyperglycemic clamp procedure, which measures how fast your body metabolizes glucose, medical staff will use an infusion of glucose to raise your optimal glucose level by 125 mg/dl. That glucose level is kept at a steady concentration by making adjustments to the glucose infusion. How quickly you metabolize glucose is determined by how much glucose infusion is needed to keep a steady concentration.

  During a hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp procedure, which is done to measure your resistance to insulin, the level of plasma insulin concentration in your body is raised to 100muU/ml by using an infusion of insulin. The insulin fusion is continually providing your body with insulin in order to keep your plasma insulin concentration at 100muU/ml. Afterward, you'll receive a glucose infusion that contains 20 percent glucose solution. This process takes about two hours, and during the procedure your blood sugar levels will be taken every five minutes, in order to provide you with the right amount of glucose. At the end of the test, you will know how much glucose your body needs to compensate for an increased amount of insulin. The administering of glucose during the last 30 minutes of the procedure will also determine how sensitive you are to glucose.

  Your physician may order a glucose clamp technique test to determine how progressive your diabetes is, or to determine if any adjustments or addition to your diet or medication should be made.