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...
Follow Following Unfollow Pending Disabled. A Brigham and Women's Hospital answered. A fasting lipid profile test is a simple blood test. This test requires patients to abstain from eating eight hours prior to having their blood drawn. The test provides information on total cholesterol, type of cholesterol and ratios, and triglyceride levels to develop a profile of the patient's baseline risk of heart disease.