For the study, researchers compared cholesterol testing results of 300,000 people from Denmark, Canada, and the U.S. In both the U.S. and Canada, fasting for eight hours before a test is required. In Denmark, however, it is not.
Patients who are scheduled for a lipid profile test should fast (except for water) for 12-14 hours before the blood sample is drawn. If the patient's cholesterol is to be fractionated, he or she also should avoid alcohol for 24 hours before the test. http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Ato...
Best Answer: The only blood test that requires a patient to be in the fasting state is the lipid panel. Fasting state usually refers to taking nothing by mouth for approximately nine hours. Usually, I just tell my patients not to eat anything after dinner. Water and black coffe is okay.