Myth #: Your Cholesterol Should Be As Low As Possible
As with almost everything in health and wellness, there’s a balance that needs to be maintained. There are very few extremes that are going to serve you well.
People with too-low levels of cholesterol may have increased risk of death from other non-heart-related issues, like certain types of cancers, as well as suicide.
We commonly hear that a high level of LDL in blood increases risk of plaque formation inside arteries – raising risk of a heart attack. Conversely, the lower the LDL level, the lower the risk of heart attack.
This is a simplistic and incomplete picture.
Its not just the total amount of LDL cholesterol that should be of concern, but also the type and size of the LDL particle. Research indicates that those whose LDL particles are predominantly small and dense, have a significantly greater risk of cardiovascular disease, whereas the large and fluffy type of LDL may actually be protective.
Its a similar story with HDL cholesterol. Commonly perceived as the good type, HDL cholesterol acts like a scavenger, and removes harmful LDL cholesterol, by transporting it to the liver for processing. But were finding out, that the size of the HDL particle is of significance as well. This research indicates that women who had larger HDL particles had a higher risk of atherosclerosis, versus those who had smaller HDL particles.
Size really matters when it comes to cholesterol.
When Will I Get The Test Results
Most fasting lab results are available for your doctor in about 24 hours. However, some tests may take longer to complete. The lab will provide a report to your doctor, and your doctor will use the report to help with next steps in your diagnosis and treatment.
Learn more about the lab services we offer at Bon Secours.
When Can I Eat Or Drink Again
As soon as your blood is taken, your fast is over. You might want to bring a snack and a drink with you so you can eat as soon as possible after the test.
American Academy for Clinical Chemistry: “Basic Metabolic Panel,” “Comprehensive Metabolic Panel,” “GGT,” “Glucose Tests,” “Iron Tests,” “Lipid Profile,” “Renal Function Panel,” “Vitamin B12 & Folate.”
British National Health Service: “Can I Eat and Drink Before Having a Blood Test?”
Crystal Moore, MD, PhD, FCAP, anatomical and clinical pathologist, Chesapeake, VA.
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: “What Are Blood Tests?”
Nemours Foundation: “Blood Test: Comprehensive Metabolic Panel .”
Providence Laboratory Services : “Fasting Instructions.”
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Does A Person Need To Do Anything Else To Prepare For A Cholesterol Test
Before a person has their cholesterol test, they should inform a healthcare professional about their family history of heart health and any symptoms or medical conditions they are currently experiencing.
The person should also let the healthcare professional know about any medications, vitamins, herbal remedies, or supplements that they are taking.
If the person is taking any medications that may affect their cholesterol levels, the healthcare professional may ask them to stop taking them for a period of time before their test.
The person should only stop taking their medication if the healthcare professional asks them to and while under medical supervision.
A cholesterol blood test will measure the amount of each of the following in a persons blood:
- Total cholesterol: This is the sum of the cholesterol content in the blood.
- Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol: This is the type of cholesterol that contributes to the buildup of fats within the arteries, leading to a
- help protect a person from experiencing a stroke or heart attack. It carries the LDL back to the liver, which can break it down and help remove it from the body.
- Triglycerides: These store excess energy from a persons diet and can contribute to the buildup in a persons arteries.
According to the , the ideal levels of each type are as follows:
Why Do I Need To Fast Before My Blood Test
If your health care provider has told you to fast before a blood test, it means you should not eat or drink anything, except water, for several hours before your test. When you eat and drink normally, those foods and beverages are absorbed into your bloodstream. That could affect the results of certain types of blood tests.
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Tips To Help You Fast Properly Before A Blood Cholesterol Test
By | Submitted On May 01, 2010
Doctors almost always instruct to fast before going in for a blood cholesterol test. You need to fast in the correct manner if you have scheduled a blood cholesterol test. It’s always a good idea to check with your doctor as well as the lab where you’ll have the blood work done about any specific instructions for the pre-test fasting.
Follow these tips and you will not mess up your test:
1. Keep track of what you’ve been eating in the few weeks before the blood cholesterol test if you know much in advance when you’d be doing the blood test. If your blood test is part of a life insurance medical exam, stay away from red meat, fried foods and other high fat and high cholesterol foods.
2. The best time to schedule a blood cholesterol test is early in the morning, especially if you need to fast for 12 hours. This way you can have your last meal of the day by 7 PM and then go first thing in the morning for your blood test.
3. Make sure you check with your doctor or with the people at the lab about how long you need to fast. The time period could anything from 6-8 hours to even 12 hours depending on the case.
4. If you’re doing a routine blood cholesterol test do not change your diet too much otherwise your test results would not show accurate data for your usual diet.
Does Sugar Turn Into Cholesterol
Excess sugar is known to contribute to obesity, diabetes, and other conditions linked to heart disease, and now new research links it to unhealthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels. People in the study who ate the most added sugar had the lowest HDL, or good cholesterol, and the highest blood triglyceride levels.
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More Evidence That Fasting Not Needed Before Cholesterol Tests
This page was fact checked by our expert Medical Review Board for accuracy and objectivity. Read more about our editorial policy and review process.
A new analysis recently published in JAMA Internal Medicine adds to the evidence that people may not have to fast before blood tests to check their cholesterol and other lipid levels. Researchers from Brigham and Womens Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Imperial College in London reviewed data from a study called the Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes TrialLipid Lowering Arm for their analysis.
Blood tests to check lipid levels, including total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, are done routinely to help determine a persons risk of heart disease and to decide if and what treatment is necessary. Adults are usually instructed to fast for 9 to 12 hours before these tests, which are typically done together as a lipid panel.
The analysis found little difference between the fasting and non-fasting lipid results from the same individuals, according to the authors. The only difference was moderately higher triglyceride levels in non-fasting samples, which was expected. The researchers also found that fasting and non-fasting lipid levels had similar associations with coronary events. Non-fasting lipid levels reflected risk for heart disease similar to fasting levels.
What To Expect During The Test
A cholesterol test is a simple blood test during which a technician will generally seat the person in a chair with a special armrest. The technician will then tie a rubber strip around the persons arm to try to find a suitable vein from which to draw blood.
After finding a vein, the technician will clean the area with alcohol, insert a needle attached to a tube into the persons vein, and allow the tube to fill.
When the tube is full of blood, the technician will remove the needle and hold gauze on the site of the puncture. The technician may ask the person to apply pressure for a few minutes to stop the bleeding, and they might apply a small bandage over the gauze.
At this point, the test is complete, and the person is usually free to go about their normal daily activities.
The results will tell a doctor if the levels of cholesterol in a persons blood are healthy.
The test measures several types of cholesterol in a persons blood in mg/dl. It is possible to break down the results by type of cholesterol.
HDL cholesterol
HDL results measure the amount of good cholesterol in a persons blood. Higher readings tend to be better than lower readings:
| 60 mg/dl or higher |
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Caffeine And Blood Sugar
If you don’t have diabetes, the Mayo Clinic says drinking coffee shouldn’t noticeably affect blood sugar levels. Most healthy young adults can safely take in up to 400 milligrams of caffeine a day, which is more than the typical caffeine found in two 8-ounce cups of coffee.
If you do have diabetes, however, caffeine may affect your blood sugar levels. Caffeine may raise blood sugar for some diabetics, while it may lower blood sugar for others. Caffeine affects everyone differently, the Mayo Clinic says.
There aren’t a lot of clinical studies measuring the effects of coffee on a blood glucose test. A small study of coffee drinkers in the September 2012 edition of the journal Metabolism measured the effects of caffeine from espresso coffee. It found only marginal differences in glucose measures between coffee drinkers and noncoffee drinkers.
Sharing To You The Best Ideas And Thought Of Peter
Most doctors would usually instruct their patients to fast before a scheduled blood cholesterol test. It is advisable to fast in the right way if you have a scheduled blood cholesterol test. It is a good idea to consult with your doctor and laboratory where the blood test is going to be conducted regarding any additional instructions before the test. In this article, you will be provided with some tips on how to fast properly before a blood test. Below are the tips that you can use so that you will not mess up your blood test results.
1. You should keep track on the food that you have been consuming a few weeks before your scheduled test. The food that you eat can have a big difference in your test results. If the test is a life insurance medical exam, then you should steer clear of fried food, read meat, and other foods that are high in cholesterol.
2. The ideal time to schedule your blood test is early in the morning. You will not have to starve yourself as you already have a good night sleep which is around 8 hours. A normal fasting is usually 12 hours, so for the remaining 4 hours, you should only drink water. In this manner, you can take your last meal by 7 p.m. and then proceed to your blood test by the morning.
3. Ask your doctor or the people at the laboratory about how many hours you should fast. The time frame could be 6 to 12 hours depending on the instruction of the doctor.
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What Supplements Have Biotin
On top of getting biotin from your foods, this substance can also be taken from various vitamins or supplements available in drug stores.
For example, most multivitamin pills, B-complex vitamins, and coenzyme R have high amounts of biotin in them. Similarly, supplements with vitamin H and prenatal vitamins might also contain biotin.
If youre taking some supplements for hair growth and skin improvement, chances are that youre also getting some biotin from those. Look on the labels of the supplements you take and look for biotin, vitamin B7, vitamin H, or coenzyme R to see if your pills contain biotin.
If you have been instructed to stop biotin supplementation a few days before your blood test but forgot to do so, make sure that you inform your doctor about it. Your health practitioner needs to know this is the case your results show inaccurate or confusing results.
Other Fasting Blood Tests
Some other blood tests may require fasting too, according to Mercy Health. These can vary, however, so you’ll need to check with your doctor before your test. These tests usually include:
- Anemia .
- Kidney function .
- Liver disease .
- Vitamin B12 levels.
Remember, if you’re having a blood test for anything other than what’s been discussed above, you probably can go ahead and have your morning coffee and breakfast before your blood is drawn. But remember to always check with your doctor for detailed instructions, and follow those instructions exactly for the best results.
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Why High Cholesterol Can Be Dangerous
Cholesterol is manufactured by your body’s liver and carried in your bloodstream to cells throughout your body by proteins. While it’s important to your health, the body makes all the cholesterol you need. Your cholesterol level can be too high if you are eating foods with lots of cholesterol, mainly foods with high levels of saturated fats such as red meat, dairy and eggs. When your cholesterol level is too high, it can build up in the walls of your blood vessels and may eventually restrict blood flow causing a heart attack or stroke.
Can Coffee With Cream Affect My Blood Work
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When Would I Need A Fasting Lab Test
If you have one or more of these symptoms, your doctor may order a fasting lab test.
- Excessive urination and thirst
- A yellowish tint to your skin and/or eyes
- Fatigue and an irregular heartbeat
- Pale skin and leg cramps
- Non-specific symptoms that are difficult to diagnose
If youre having symptoms that just dont feel right, so they can request the appropriate tests.
Coffee’s Other Effects On Cholesterol
When we think about cholesterol, we generally think that “high” means “bad.” And, while this is certainly true with LDL cholesterol, increased levels of HDL cholesterol are generally considered a good thing.
Among its benefits, HDL cholesterol absorbs excess cholesterol in the blood and carries it back to the liver where it is flushed out of the body. Increases in HDL generally correspond to decreases in the risk of heart disease and stroke.
A 2020 study in the Journal of Nutrition reported that while high consumption of unfiltered espresso did, in fact, increase TC and LDL levels in both men and women, it also increased “good” HDL and decreased “bad” triglyceride levels. Decreased triglycerides are linked to a lower risk of heart disease.
The same study also noted that regular consumption of tea and instant coffee had no detrimental effect on a person’s blood lipid profile.
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Avoiding Coffee Before A Blood Test
What is the latest thinking on avoiding coffee before a blood test?
You have a problem. You must fast for 12 hours before your blood test, but you have a real dependence on coffee or caffeine. You need that cup of caffeinated energy before you even walk out the door. Otherwise, grogginess, a headache and a general feeling of malaise may set in.
May we suggest that you get up earlier than your usual coffee time and arrive at the laboratory as early as possible? The only problem is, many medical testing labs open at 8 a.m., well past the time most people are up and getting ready to take on the day. And the busiest time of the day for most labs is 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
‘can I Drink Coffee While Fasting’
I heard the same question almost every time I gave pre-op instructions to a patient: Once I got to the part about nothing to eat or drink after , nearly every one of them would look at me in anguish and ask, Does that mean no coffee??
I feel you.
As a connoisseur of caffeine, myself, I understand that fasting can be difficult enough without giving up coffee to do it. And the good news is: sometimes you dont have to!
The answer to this question depends on the type of fasting youre doing. Can you drink coffee while doing
Pre-surgical fasting? No, you absolutely may not drink coffee after the cut-off time youre given. Thats because the medications used in general anesthesia make it easy for stomach contents to regurgitate into the esophagus, where they can be inhaled. Not good. So, you should never eat or drink anything for several hours prior to a surgery with general anesthesia.
Intermittent fasting? Yes, you can drink black coffee if youre doing intermittent fasting . IF is based on a concept called time-restricted feeding in which you take in calories only during a small window of time each day. But black coffee does not contain calories, so drinking it wont break your fast. Now, if you add cream or sugar, then youve blown your fast because those things contain calories.
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Why Drinking Black Coffee Before A Fasting Blood Test Is Bad
You might think drinking coffee while fasting for a blood test is a great idea instead of eating, you may even think its a great way to get yourself going when fasting, but youd be surprised to learn that drinking coffee before a fasting blood test especially your stomach is empty is considered a terrible idea.lets take a look at a few reasons of how does coffee affect fasting blood tests?