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Type 1 Diabetes Antibody Home kit
Blood sugar & immunity · home kit

Type 1 Diabetes Antibody

Four islet autoantibodies — GAD65, IA-2, insulin (IAA) and ZnT8 — the immune markers that can reveal the process behind type 1 diabetes, often years before blood sugar rises.

Price £139 £113.99
Covers 4 markers
Type Home kit · posted to you
Order just this kit
Blood sample, collected at home
No fasting needed. If you already use insulin, tell us — it affects the insulin antibody (IAA) result.
Free delivery — posted to any UK address
Results explained by our clinical team
About this test

Everything you need to know about Type 1 Diabetes Antibody

Type 1 diabetes develops when the immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. That process usually begins long before blood sugar rises, and it leaves a trace: autoantibodies against proteins in those cells. Finding two or more means the process has started, even if blood sugar is still normal; finding none makes type 1 diabetes in the near future much less likely.

The test is used by relatives of people with type 1 diabetes who want to understand their own risk, and by adults with a diabetes diagnosis when it is unclear whether it is type 1, type 2 or the slower-onset form sometimes called LADA. Our clinical team explains your result and, if antibodies are present, what monitoring makes sense with your GP or a diabetes team.

What's measured

What's included

4 markers in this test

GAD65 IA2 IAA ZnT8
GAD65The most common antibody in adult-onset autoimmune diabetes.
IA2 & ZnT8Antibodies against proteins in the insulin-producing cells.
IAAAntibodies to insulin itself — informative only before insulin treatment starts.
Who it's for

Worth considering if

  • A parent, brother, sister or child with type 1 diabetes
  • An adult diagnosed with diabetes where the type is uncertain
  • Another autoimmune condition, such as thyroid disease or coeliac disease
  • Monitoring that a diabetes team has advised
Important: A home test is not a diagnosis on its own. Where something needs looking at, we tell you what it means and what to do next. If you are unwell now, please see your GP or call 111 rather than waiting for a kit.
What to expect

Your home kit

1

Order online

Add the kit to your order — several kits can go in one order — and enter your delivery address. We post it to your door as soon as your payment reaches us, with free delivery.

2

Collect your sample at home

Follow the step-by-step instructions in the box. No fasting needed. If you already use insulin, tell us — it affects the insulin antibody (IAA) result. Post the sample back the same day, Monday to Thursday, in the return packaging provided.

3

Results explained

Your results are released to your account with a written explanation from our clinical team.

Frequently Asked

Type 1 Diabetes Antibody — FAQs

I have symptoms of high blood sugar — should I use this kit?
No. If you are very thirsty, passing urine often, losing weight without trying or feeling unusually tired, please see your GP today or call 111 — high blood sugar needs checking the same day, not by post. This kit is for understanding risk, not for diagnosing diabetes.
What does a positive result mean?
One antibody on its own carries a modest risk and is often rechecked. Two or more mean the autoimmune process has started and the chance of developing type 1 diabetes over the coming years is high. Our clinician explains your result and the monitoring that makes sense with your GP or a diabetes team.
Does insulin treatment affect the result?
Yes. After a week or two of insulin treatment the body can make antibodies to the injected insulin, so the IAA result is no longer meaningful. The other three antibodies are still informative.
How does the kit reach me?
We post it to your address anywhere in the UK as soon as your order is paid, and email you when it has been dispatched. Delivery is free on every home blood test kit. Everything you need to collect your sample and send it back is in the box.
How do I collect the sample?
Your kit contains everything you need and step-by-step instructions. Read them through first, collect at the time of day this test needs (see the preparation note above), label the sample and pack it in the return packaging provided.
When should I post my sample back?
On the day you collect it, Monday to Thursday, and not the day before a bank holiday — so it reaches the laboratory quickly and does not sit in the post over a weekend. A sample that arrives too old may not be able to be analysed.
Can I order several kits at once?
Yes. Use “Add to order” on each kit and then “Order” in the bar at the bottom — they go into one order and one payment and are posted together. Clinic blood tests are booked separately, because they need an appointment rather than an address.
How do I pay?
Home kit orders are paid by bank transfer. When you place your order we show our bank details and your payment reference on screen and by email, and we post your kit as soon as the payment reaches us.
How do I get my results?
Once the laboratory has analysed your sample, your results are released to your secure account with a written explanation from our clinical team, and a call where something needs talking through. Turnaround depends on the test and starts when the laboratory receives your sample.
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Add several kits to one order — one payment, posted together.

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