Should you fast before a cholesterol test?
Lab 24 2018-11-01T09:48:05+00:00A doctor may instruct a person to fast before taking a cholesterol test. This was once standard practice, but new studies are changing this recommendation.A cholesterol test measures the amount of cholesterol and triglycerides in a person's blood. Cholesterol is a fat-like material that is present in all of the body's cells. The body needs some cholesterol to help produce vitamin D, hormones, and enzymes that aid digestion. A cholesterol test, also known as a lipids panel, measures several different types of cholesterol, including: high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, or "good cholesterol" low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, or "bad cholesterol" triglycerides, the chemical [...]