Cardio IQ Diabetes Risk Panel With Score
It estimates your risk for insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes using fasting blood markers and a calculated score, with Vitals Vault ordering through Quest.
This panel bundles multiple biomarker tests in one order—your report explains how results fit together.
This panel is designed to answer a practical question: are your current blood sugar and insulin patterns pointing toward insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes risk, even if you feel “mostly fine”?
Instead of relying on a single number, the Cardio IQ Diabetes Risk Panel With Score combines fasting markers and a calculated score to show whether your body is needing more insulin than it should to keep glucose in range.
Your results can help you and your clinician decide what to do next, such as confirming prediabetes, choosing follow-up tests, and setting a realistic retest timeline after lifestyle or medication changes.
Do I need a Cardio IQ Diabetes Risk Panel With Score test?
You might consider this panel if you have a family history of type 2 diabetes, had gestational diabetes, carry more weight around your midsection, or have blood pressure or cholesterol concerns that cluster with metabolic syndrome. It can also be useful if your fasting glucose or A1c has been “borderline” and you want a clearer picture of whether insulin resistance is already present.
This panel is especially helpful when symptoms are nonspecific. Daytime sleepiness after meals, increased hunger, frequent urination, slow wound healing, or difficulty losing weight can have many causes, but insulin and glucose patterns are a common and testable contributor.
You may also want it if you are starting or adjusting a plan that should improve insulin sensitivity (nutrition changes, weight loss, strength training, or clinician-prescribed medications) and you want objective markers to track. Testing is most useful when you can compare results over time under similar conditions.
This test supports clinician-directed care and risk assessment; it does not diagnose diabetes on its own, and any abnormal result should be interpreted alongside your history, medications, and repeat testing when appropriate.
This is a blood-based laboratory panel typically performed in a CLIA-certified lab; the score is a calculated interpretation aid and is not a standalone diagnosis.
Lab testing
Order labs to measure Cardio IQ Diabetes Risk Panel with Score
from $24.99 at Quest Diagnostics
About 1 week
Schedule online — results typically within a week
Clear next steps
Guidance included, with follow-up care available
HSA / FSA
Eligible for pre-tax health spending accounts
Get this panel with Vitals Vault
Vitals Vault lets you order the Cardio IQ Diabetes Risk Panel With Score directly, so you can move from “I’m not sure what to test” to a concrete set of numbers you can review with your clinician.
After your blood draw, you can use PocketMD to walk through what each marker and the overall score suggest, what follow-up tests are commonly paired with it, and how soon it makes sense to retest based on the type of change you are making.
If your results point to higher risk, you can use the same lab network for consistent trend tracking. If your results look reassuring but you still have symptoms, PocketMD can help you map next-step labs that look beyond glucose alone.
- Order online and complete your lab draw through the Quest network
- PocketMD helps you turn results into next-step questions for your clinician
- Designed for retesting and trend tracking, not one-off numbers
Key benefits of Cardio IQ Diabetes Risk Panel With Score testing
- Flags insulin resistance patterns that can appear before fasting glucose becomes abnormal.
- Combines multiple markers into a single score to simplify risk conversations with your clinician.
- Helps distinguish “normal A1c” with high insulin from truly healthy glucose control.
- Provides a baseline you can retest after lifestyle changes to see if insulin demand is improving.
- Supports earlier, more targeted follow-up testing when results are borderline or conflicting.
- Adds context for cardiometabolic risk because insulin resistance often travels with lipid and blood pressure changes.
- Makes it easier to track trends over time using the same ordering flow and PocketMD interpretation support.
What is the Cardio IQ Diabetes Risk Panel With Score?
The Cardio IQ Diabetes Risk Panel With Score is a bundled blood test that evaluates markers related to glucose control and insulin signaling, then reports a calculated score intended to estimate diabetes risk. The exact score algorithm is lab-specific, but it generally uses fasting glucose and fasting insulin (and often A1c) to summarize whether your body is producing more insulin than expected to keep blood sugar stable.
Insulin resistance means your cells do not respond to insulin as efficiently, so your pancreas compensates by making more insulin. For a while, glucose can stay in range even as insulin rises. Over time, that compensation can fail, leading to prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
Because the panel looks at more than one marker, it can clarify situations where a single test is misleading. For example, A1c can be affected by red blood cell turnover, and fasting glucose can look normal on a “good day.” Seeing insulin alongside glucose helps you interpret the pattern.
This panel is not a substitute for diagnostic testing when diabetes is suspected. If results are high, clinicians often confirm with repeat fasting labs, an oral glucose tolerance test, or additional metabolic markers depending on your situation.
What the score is trying to capture
The score is meant to translate the relationship between insulin and glucose into a risk signal. A higher score generally reflects higher insulin demand and/or higher glucose exposure, which are common in insulin resistance and prediabetes.
Why fasting matters
Most diabetes-risk scoring approaches assume you were fasting, because recent food intake can raise glucose and insulin for hours. If you were not fasting, the score can be harder to interpret and may look artificially high.
What do my Cardio IQ Diabetes Risk Panel With Score results mean?
Low (lower-risk) score or low-risk pattern
A lower score usually means your fasting glucose is in a healthy range and your fasting insulin is not elevated for that glucose level. This pattern is more consistent with good insulin sensitivity, especially if A1c is also in range. If you still have symptoms, it can be worth checking other contributors such as sleep, thyroid function, iron status, or medication effects. Your clinician may still recommend periodic screening if you have strong family history or prior gestational diabetes.
Optimal (reassuring) pattern
An optimal result typically shows fasting glucose and A1c in range with fasting insulin that is not “working overtime.” This suggests your body is maintaining blood sugar without excessive insulin output. If you are actively changing diet, exercise, or weight, this is a useful baseline to compare against in 8–12 weeks. Your clinician may focus on maintaining habits and monitoring at routine intervals based on your overall risk profile.
High (higher-risk) score or high-risk pattern
A higher score generally reflects higher fasting insulin, higher fasting glucose, higher A1c, or a combination. This pattern can be seen in insulin resistance, prediabetes, and sometimes undiagnosed diabetes, but confirmation matters because illness, stress, and medications can temporarily raise glucose. Many clinicians follow up with repeat fasting testing, an oral glucose tolerance test, and a review of cardiometabolic risk factors such as blood pressure and lipids. If diabetes is diagnosed, these markers can also help monitor response to treatment over time.
Factors that influence this panel (and can shift the score)
Fasting status is one of the biggest drivers: eating late, drinking sugary beverages, or even intense exercise right before the draw can change insulin and glucose. Acute illness, poor sleep, and high stress hormones can raise glucose and insulin temporarily. Certain medications can affect results, including corticosteroids, some antipsychotics, and diabetes medications (which may lower glucose while insulin remains elevated or vice versa). Conditions that change red blood cell lifespan (such as anemia or recent blood loss) can affect A1c, so clinicians often interpret A1c alongside a complete blood count when results do not match symptoms.
What’s included
- 8 Year Diabetes Risk
- Chol/Hdlc Ratio
- Cholesterol, Total
- Glucose
- Hdl Cholesterol
- Hemoglobin A1C
- Ldl-Cholesterol
- Non Hdl Cholesterol
- Triglycerides
Similar tests and related labs
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to fast for the Cardio IQ Diabetes Risk Panel With Score?
Yes, fasting is usually required because the score relies on fasting glucose and fasting insulin. Follow the lab instructions you receive, but many clinicians recommend 8–12 hours of fasting with water only, and avoiding heavy alcohol the night before.
What is a “diabetes risk score” on this panel?
It is a calculated number that summarizes how your fasting insulin and glucose (and sometimes A1c) relate to each other. Higher scores generally reflect higher insulin demand and/or higher glucose exposure, which can indicate insulin resistance or higher diabetes risk. The score is an interpretation aid, not a diagnosis.
How is this different from an A1c test alone?
A1c estimates your average glucose over roughly 2–3 months, but it does not show how much insulin your body needs to keep glucose controlled. This panel adds fasting insulin and a combined score, which can reveal early insulin resistance even when A1c is still in range.
How often should I retest this panel?
If you are making meaningful lifestyle changes, a common retest window is about 8–12 weeks, which is long enough for A1c and insulin patterns to shift. If results are clearly high or symptoms are worsening, your clinician may recommend sooner confirmation or additional diagnostic testing.
Can stress or poor sleep make my score look worse?
Yes. Short sleep, acute stress, and illness can raise stress hormones that increase glucose output from the liver and can raise insulin levels. If your result is borderline and the draw happened during a rough week, your clinician may suggest repeating under more typical conditions.
What follow-up tests are commonly paired with this panel?
Common next steps include a lipid panel (or advanced lipids), liver enzymes, kidney function tests, and sometimes an oral glucose tolerance test if diagnosis is unclear. If A1c does not match your symptoms, a complete blood count can help evaluate factors that affect A1c interpretation.