Blood checks are widespread procedures that healthcare suppliers use to diagnose sure well being circumstances and examine the standing of essential measurements like your levels of cholesterol or blood sugar. Normally, you don’t have to do something particular to arrange for a blood take a look at. However sure checks do require you to quick (or cease consuming and ingesting) earlier than coming in on your appointment. That is so the outcomes might be as correct as doable.
How lengthy you must keep away from consuming earlier than lab work will depend upon the kind of take a look at you’re getting. The common fasting time is normally between 8 and 12 hours, in keeping with MedlinePlus. Right here’s extra data about which checks require you to quick and what meals and drinks you could wish to keep away from earlier than your appointment.
Which Assessments Require You to Quick?
You don’t have to quick for each single blood take a look at you’re taking. However in the event you’re getting sure checks, like a lipid panel or blood glucose take a look at, you could have to keep away from consuming or ingesting something earlier than getting into on your appointment. Your healthcare supplier ought to let you understand whether or not you’ll have to quick.
1. Lipid Panel
The standard lipid panel usually requires a 12-hour quick, which suggests you may’t devour any meals or drinks (except for water) 12 hours earlier than having your blood drawn, in keeping with Cleveland Clinic.
This lipid panel is also called a ldl cholesterol take a look at. Mayo Clinic explains that this take a look at checks for blood ranges of whole ldl cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL and HDL ldl cholesterol — generally known as “dangerous” and “good” ldl cholesterol, respectively.
2. Blood Glucose Take a look at
A blood glucose (or blood sugar) take a look at requires you to quick for at the least eight hours, in keeping with Cleveland Clinic. When you can’t eat any meals or different drinks, you’re allowed to drink water. This take a look at checks your blood sugar ranges and screens for circumstances like prediabetes and diabetes.
An oral glucose tolerance take a look at additionally requires you to quick for eight hours earlier than coming in on your appointment. This sort of take a look at is used for pregnant individuals to display for gestational diabetes, a situation that causes elevated blood sugar ranges throughout being pregnant, Mayo Clinic notes.
3. Extra Assessments
Whereas blood glucose and ldl cholesterol checks are the commonest exams that require you to quick, your healthcare supplier may order further checks which have comparable fasting necessities. MedlinePlus notes that checks like the essential metabolic panel (which measures chemical substances within the blood), liver operate checks, and renal (kidney) operate checks might generally additionally require you to quick to get probably the most correct outcomes.
What To not Eat or Drink Earlier than a Take a look at
It isn’t simply sure meals that have an effect on blood take a look at outcomes. All meals will have an effect on your nutrient ranges, thereby altering the outcomes of your fasting blood take a look at. This implies you may wish to keep away from all meals and drinks aside from water within the hours earlier than your take a look at. MedlinePlus notes that drinks to be prevented embrace:
- Juice
- Espresso
- Tea
- Soda
- Alcohol
- Flavored or carbonated water
Fasting this lengthy could be difficult, particularly in the event you’re used to consuming smaller meals each few hours. For this reason some individuals favor to schedule blood checks earlier within the morning, to allow them to spend most of their fasting hours sleeping. If, nonetheless, your take a look at is later within the day, take into account consuming a satiating meal earlier than your fasting time begins. This may occasionally embrace lean proteins, wholesome fat, and complicated carbohydrates. (Suppose a turkey burger with avocado and many non-starchy veggies.)
Can You Take Medicine Earlier than a Fasting Blood Take a look at?
More often than not, it is okay to take your ordinary drugs earlier than a blood take a look at. However there are some drugs that may alter the outcomes of a take a look at, like steroids, nutritional vitamins, or some dietary supplements, in keeping with College Hospitals.
To know which drugs you may (and may’t) take earlier than a blood take a look at, examine in together with your healthcare supplier. They’ll pull up which prescription drugs you’re taking and allow you to know whether or not it’s secure to take them. You’ll additionally wish to point out any dietary supplements or over-the-counter drugs you could be taking, to allow them to advise you on these, too.
And whereas this may increasingly sound like a whole lot of prep earlier than a blood take a look at, it’s value noting that improper take a look at preparation can alter your blood take a look at outcomes and will even result in an incorrect analysis or pointless therapy. For probably the most correct blood take a look at outcomes, make sure that to observe your healthcare directions.
