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...
Your doctor will tell you whether or not itâs necessary to fast. If you are fasting, youâll most likely be told not to eat for eight to 12 hours before your test. For this reason, cholesterol tests are often scheduled in the morning. A test that measures all of the different types of cholesterol levels is called a total lipid profile.