Fasting Insulin
Fasting insulin is strongly right-skewed and rises across adulthood as insulin resistance, adiposity, and metabolic dysfunction become more common in the general population.
Unit: uU/mL · 12 slices · age and sex · 1 source
Filed under panels: Diabetes Panel , Metabolic Panel · topics: Metabolic
Fasting insulin is measured in the NHANES fasting subsample after an overnight fast. Because insulin resistance varies widely across the population, the distribution is markedly right-skewed, with a much broader upper tail than fasting glucose. These percentiles describe the full US population rather than a screened healthy subgroup. Note: 1 uU/mL is approximately 6.0 pmol/L.
Population Distribution
Browse by Demographic
| Age (years) | male (uU/mL) | female (uU/mL) |
|---|---|---|
| 20-29 | 2.6–31.5 (7.1) | 3.2–32.7 (10.9) |
| 30-39 | 3–39.6 (9.1) | 3.5–29.6 (9) |
| 40-49 | 3.4–36.1 (8.9) | 3.5–34.3 (8.8) |
| 50-59 | 3.1–33.6 (9.8) | 2.6–24.1 (9.1) |
| 60-69 | 4.1–33.9 (11.2) | 4.3–30.4 (9.9) |
| 70+ | 4.2–29.4 (9.9) | 3.6–22.1 (9.5) |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is fasting insulin more skewed than fasting glucose?
Insulin resistance can rise substantially before fasting glucose becomes frankly abnormal. That means a subset of the population develops much higher fasting insulin while glucose remains only mildly elevated, producing a long upper tail.
Why is fasting insulin useful alongside glucose?
Glucose shows the end result of glycemic control, while insulin reflects how hard the pancreas is working to maintain that control. Looking at both together gives more context on metabolic state.
How do I convert uU/mL to pmol/L?
Multiply by about 6.0. For example, 10 uU/mL is approximately 60 pmol/L.