Marham
SurgeriesHealth HubForumJoin as Doctor
Login

HOMA-IR Test Price in Pakistan: Rs 2,240 at Marham Lab

Also called

HOMA-IRHOMA IRInsulin Resistance TestInsulin Resistance IndexHOMA Index
In short

A HOMA-IR test costs Rs 2,240 at Marham Lab, down from Rs 3,200, and Rs 2,920 at Chughtai Lab. It is an index calculated from fasting insulin and fasting glucose. NIDDK states that providers may not test for insulin resistance and that the test is primarily used only for research, and names HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose and OGTT as the tests used to diagnose prediabetes.

Labs offering the HOMA-IR test

LabPriceBook
Marham LabOur lab
Home sample · Lahore

Rs. 2,240

Rs. 3,200
30% off · lowest price here
Book
Chughtai Lab
Home sampleNext day

Rs. 2,920

Rs. 3,650
20% off · Rs. 680 more
Book
Prices are as listed on Marham, checked on 23 October 2026.

How booking works

1. Tap Book

HOMA-IR is added to your booking for you.

2. Pick a time

Give your address in Lahore and choose a collection day and time.

3. Sample at home

A phlebotomist comes to your address and takes the sample.

4. Get your report

Your report is ready in the time shown above, and you can see it in your Marham account.

What is the HOMA-IR test?

A HOMA-IR test estimates how resistant your body has become to its own insulin. It is not a single measurement. It is an index calculated from your fasting insulin and your fasting blood glucose, taken from the same sample. At Marham Lab it costs Rs 2,240, reduced from Rs 3,200.

Read This Before You Book

We are going to lose some bookings on this page, and that is the right thing to do.

NIDDK states plainly that health care professionals may not test for insulin resistance, and that the test for insulin resistance is primarily used only for research studies.

To diagnose prediabetes, NIDDK says professionals use blood tests that measure your blood glucose level, and it names three:

TestWhat NIDDK says counts as prediabetesMarham Lab
[HbA1c](/labs/tests/hba1c-test-price)A1C results between 5.7% and 6.4%See the HbA1c page
[Fasting plasma glucose](/labs/tests/blood-sugar-test-price)FPG between 100 and 125 mg/dLRs 350
[OGTT](/labs/tests/blood-sugar-test-price)OGTT between 140 and 199 mg/dLRs 700

So if your question is am I heading towards diabetes, the answer is an HbA1c or a fasting glucose, and both cost a fraction of this test. NIDDK notes the OGTT is not as easy to give, takes more time and costs more than the other tests.

HOMA-IR has a narrower use. Some endocrinologists and gynaecologists in Pakistan use it when working up PCOS or metabolic syndrome, and if your own doctor has written HOMA-IR on a slip, book it. Do not book it as a self-ordered screening test for diabetes risk.

What the Index Is Made Of

ComponentMarham LabChughtai Lab
HOMA-IR indexRs 2,240Rs 2,920
[Fasting insulin](/labs/tests/insulin-test-price) aloneSee the insulin page
[Blood sugar](/labs/tests/blood-sugar-test-price) fastingRs 350Rs 480

If your doctor wants the raw hormone rather than the index, book [fasting insulin](/labs/tests/insulin-test-price) instead. Ask which one they meant before you pay for both.

What Insulin Resistance Actually Is

NIDDK explains that insulin resistance is a condition in which your body does not respond to insulin the way it should, insulin being a hormone made by your pancreas. It states that insulin resistance can lead to increased blood glucose levels and weight gain.

On the mechanism it is specific: insulin resistance means cells in your muscles, fat and liver do not respond well to insulin. Over time your pancreas may not make enough insulin to help the extra glucose enter your cells. When that glucose cannot get in, you have higher levels of glucose in your blood. When your blood glucose is higher than normal and not high enough to be called diabetes, you have prediabetes.

NIDDK also says researchers do not fully understand what causes insulin resistance and prediabetes.

There Are Usually No Symptoms

Worth stating because people come to this test expecting it to explain how they feel.

NIDDK states that people with insulin resistance and prediabetes usually have no symptoms. Some people with prediabetes may have symptoms similar to those of diabetes.

Who Is More Likely to Have It

NIDDK lists these factors. Several are common here.

  • Having overweight, obesity or a large waist size
  • Being age 35 or older, though it notes children and teens can develop it too
  • A family history of diabetes
  • Being African American, American Indian, Asian American, Hispanic, Latino or Pacific Islander
  • Not being physically active
  • Smoking, including tobacco products and e-cigarettes, or exposure to secondhand smoke
  • A history of gestational diabetes, or having given birth to a baby weighing 9 pounds or more
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), Cushing's syndrome, acromegaly, sleep apnoea, or viral diseases like COVID-19
  • Taking certain medicines over time, such as glucocorticoids, some antipsychotics and some medicines for HIV

PCOS is on that list, which is why this test circulates among women being investigated for irregular periods and difficulty conceiving.

What It Can Lead To

NIDDK lists high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity or a large waist size, type 2 diabetes, and unhealthy levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. It notes that levels of fat in your blood may also rise, and that professionals may recommend tests for cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

The Part Worth More Than the Test

This is the useful half of the page.

NIDDK states that many people can take steps to prevent or delay prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. On weight it is concrete: the NIH-funded Diabetes Prevention Program showed that for people at high risk of developing diabetes, losing 5% to 7% of their starting weight helped reduce their chance of developing the disease.

For an 80 kg person that is roughly 4 to 6 kg. Not a transformation. A target.

NIDDK's healthy living list is short: consuming healthy foods and drinks, being physically active, managing your weight, and getting enough sleep. It acknowledges these changes can be hard and suggests starting with small ones.

On medicine, it notes professionals may prescribe metformin, and that the DPP study showed metformin could delay type 2 diabetes, working best for women with a history of gestational diabetes, younger adults, and people with obesity. Ask your doctor whether it is right for you.

The long view: NIDDK reports the follow-up study has shown people can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes for at least 15 years with lifestyle changes or metformin.

How to Prepare

Fasting is required, since both parts of the index are fasting measurements. Follow the fasting window your doctor or the lab gives you, usually 8 to 12 hours of nothing except water. Take your usual medicines unless your doctor tells you otherwise, and tell the lab about steroids, since NIDDK lists glucocorticoids among medicines that raise this risk. A trained phlebotomist takes one blood sample from a vein in your arm. In Lahore the sample can be collected at your home at no extra cost.

Final Thoughts

HOMA-IR is a reasonable test to run when a doctor asks for it, usually in a PCOS or metabolic syndrome workup. It is a poor first test to buy for yourself, because the body that decides what counts as prediabetes uses HbA1c, fasting glucose or an OGTT, and says insulin resistance testing is mostly a research tool. The number also will not tell you anything your risk factors have not already told you. What changes the outcome is losing 5% to 7% of your weight, moving more, sleeping enough, and asking your doctor about metformin if you fit the groups it helped most.

Common questions

A HOMA-IR test costs Rs 2,240 at Marham Lab, reduced from Rs 3,200, with free home sample collection in Lahore. The same test at Chughtai Lab is Rs 2,920. It may be billed as HOMA-IR, insulin resistance test or insulin resistance index, and the price does not change with the name. Fasting is required because both parts of the index are fasting measurements.

Usually not. NIDDK states that health care professionals may not test for insulin resistance and that the test for insulin resistance is primarily used only for research studies. To diagnose prediabetes it names the A1C test, with prediabetes at 5.7% to 6.4%, the fasting plasma glucose test, with prediabetes at 100 to 125 mg/dL, and the OGTT, with prediabetes at 140 to 199 mg/dL. An HbA1c or fasting glucose costs a fraction of HOMA-IR. Book HOMA-IR when your own doctor has asked for it.

Because insulin resistance travels with it. NIDDK lists polycystic ovary syndrome among the conditions that make insulin resistance and prediabetes more likely, alongside Cushing's syndrome, acromegaly, sleep apnoea and some viral diseases. That is why the index circulates among women being investigated for irregular periods or difficulty conceiving. If your gynaecologist or endocrinologist has written HOMA-IR on your slip, book it.

Usually no. NIDDK states that people with insulin resistance and prediabetes usually have no symptoms, and that some people with prediabetes may have symptoms similar to those of diabetes. This is why risk factors and blood tests decide the question rather than how you feel. NIDDK also notes that insulin resistance can lead to increased blood glucose levels and weight gain.

NIDDK states that many people can take steps to prevent or delay prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. It reports that the NIH-funded Diabetes Prevention Program found that for people at high risk, losing 5% to 7% of their starting weight helped reduce their chance of developing the disease, and that metformin also delayed type 2 diabetes, working best for women with a history of gestational diabetes, younger adults and people with obesity. Follow-up has shown the benefit lasting at least 15 years.

اردو میں

ہوما آئی آر ایک پیمائش نہیں بلکہ ایک حساب ہے، جو خالی پیٹ انسولین اور خالی پیٹ شوگر سے نکالا جاتا ہے۔ مرہم لیب میں اس کی قیمت دو ہزار دو سو چالیس روپے ہے۔ بکنگ سے پہلے ایک ایمانداری کی بات۔ امریکی ادارہ برائے ذیابیطس و گردہ صاف لکھتا ہے کہ ڈاکٹر عام طور پر انسولین ریزسٹنس کا ٹیسٹ نہیں کرتے، اور یہ ٹیسٹ زیادہ تر تحقیق کے لیے استعمال ہوتا ہے۔ شوگر سے پہلے کی حالت یعنی پری ذیابیطس کی تشخیص کے لیے تین ٹیسٹ استعمال ہوتے ہیں۔ ایچ بی اے ون سی، خالی پیٹ شوگر، اور گلوکوز ٹالرینس ٹیسٹ۔ تو اگر آپ کا سوال یہ ہے کہ مجھے شوگر ہونے والی ہے یا نہیں، تو اس کا جواب ایچ بی اے ون سی یا خالی پیٹ شوگر ہے، اور وہ دونوں اس ٹیسٹ سے کئی گنا سستے ہیں۔ البتہ اگر آپ کے ڈاکٹر نے خود ہوما آئی آر لکھا ہے، مثلاً پی سی او ایس یا میٹابولک سنڈروم کی جانچ میں، تو ضرور کرائیں۔ انسولین ریزسٹنس کا مطلب کیا ہے۔ یہ وہ حالت ہے جس میں جسم انسولین پر اس طرح ردعمل نہیں دیتا جیسے دینا چاہیے۔ پٹھوں، چربی اور جگر کے خلیے انسولین کو ٹھیک سے نہیں مانتے، اس لیے گلوکوز خون میں رہ جاتا ہے۔ اس سے شوگر بڑھ سکتی ہے اور وزن بھی۔ ایک اہم بات۔ انسولین ریزسٹنس اور پری ذیابیطس میں عام طور پر کوئی علامت نہیں ہوتی، اس لیے طبیعت ٹھیک ہونے کا مطلب یہ نہیں کہ سب ٹھیک ہے۔ خطرہ کن میں زیادہ ہے۔ زیادہ وزن یا کمر کا بڑھا ہوا گھیر، پینتیس سال سے اوپر کی عمر، خاندان میں ذیابیطس، جسمانی سستی، تمباکو نوشی، حمل کی ذیابیطس کی تاریخ، اور پی سی او ایس۔ سب سے کام کی بات۔ ایک بڑی تحقیق میں ثابت ہوا کہ جن لوگوں کو ذیابیطس کا خطرہ زیادہ تھا، ان کے صرف پانچ سے سات فیصد وزن کم کرنے سے بیماری کا خطرہ کم ہو گیا۔ اسی تحقیق میں میٹفارمن دوا نے بھی ذیابیطس کو پیچھے دھکیلا۔ اور پندرہ سال تک یہ فائدہ برقرار رہا۔ ٹیسٹ سے پہلے آٹھ سے بارہ گھنٹے خالی پیٹ رہنا ضروری ہے۔

Related tests

HbA1c test price

Same day · No fasting

Rs. 1,470

Blood sugar test price

Same day · Fasting

Rs. 350

Fasting insulin test price

Next day · Fasting

Rs. 2,415

C-peptide test price

Next day · Fasting

Rs. 2,660

Marham Lab30% off

Rs. 2,240

Rs. 3,200

Chughtai Lab: Rs. 2,920You save Rs. 680
Report

Next day

Sample

Blood

Fasting

Required

Home sample collection in Lahore only. Outside Lahore? Call us and our team will help.
Book home collection
Or call 042-34500888

Rs. 2,240

Rs. 3,200
Marham Lab
Book