$70.00
Priced per marker, with baseline labs included. You’ll see your total before you pay.
Metabolism & organs
Glucagon test
Hormone that raises blood sugar; opposes insulin and helps evaluate rare pancreatic tumors.
At a glance
In about 5 days
Most results are ready in about 5 days. Some specialty markers can take up to 21 days.
Check before your draw
This marker has no preparation tag, but it can still need preparation. Contact us before your draw if you’re not sure.
Walk in at Quest
Your lab order arrives by email. Most Quest locations take walk-ins, so bring it with a photo ID.
What it measures
Glucagon is a hormone your pancreas, an organ behind your stomach, makes to raise your blood sugar when it runs low. It’s the counterpart to insulin, which lowers blood sugar.
Why it matters for women
Diabetes is more likely with PCOS or after diabetes in pregnancy, but glucose and long-term sugar tests are the usual checks for it. Glucagon is a specialized test, mostly used when a doctor is looking into unusual high or low blood sugar or, rarely, a hormone-making growth in the pancreas.
You might check it if…
- a doctor is looking into blood sugar swings without a clear cause
- a doctor asked for it alongside insulin or C-peptide tests
What your result may mean
High Glucagon: what it may mean
High glucagon may point to a rare hormone-making growth in the pancreas (glucagonoma), prolonged fasting, severe stress or type 2 diabetes with insulin resistance. This rare growth can cause high blood sugar, weight loss and a red, blistering rash (necrolytic migratory erythema). Kidney and liver disease can also raise it. Recent fasting can sway the result, so a clinician may ask when you last ate. This specialized test may come up when blood sugar looks unusual, even though glucose and A1c can be the main checks for diabetes with PCOS or after pregnancy.
Low Glucagon: what it may mean
Low glucagon may be uncommon, and it can occur with chronic pancreatitis, after surgery on the pancreas or with rare congenital deficiencies. Because glucagon can lift blood sugar back up during a low, a shortage may make low blood sugar harder to recover from. You may notice shakiness, sweating or confusion during a low. Long-standing type 1 diabetes can also blunt this response. A clinician may order this test when looking into repeated low blood sugar, rather than as a routine check.
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No insurance required · HSA/FSA eligible · No subscription
These notes provide context and do not diagnose a condition. Not yet available in NY, NJ, RI, HI, ND, SD or WV.