Your cholesterol level is indicative of your risk for heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. Health professionals recommend that adults aged 20 and older have cholesterol levels tested at least once every five years. For adults who smoke, are over the age of 45 or who have one or more risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, family history of heart disease, diabetes or preexisting heart disease, cholesterol screenings may be done more frequently.
Fasting
If total cholesterol is tested alone, it is not necessary to fast beforehand. If cholesterol testing is done as a part of a lipid profile, which includes individual values for total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides, then fasting for nine to 12 hours prior to testing is required. During this time, only water is allowed.
The fat and cholesterol in the food you eat directly affect your blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, eating a meal within 12 hours before a fasting cholesterol test can raise triglyceride levels 20 to 30 percent. Because triglycerides are used to compute LDL and HDL cholesterol, this can cause abnormal results.
Cholesterol Levels
Although your desirable cholesterol levels may differ slightly based on your individual condition, there are general guidelines to what is considered a healthy cholesterol level. After fasting, your total cholesterol level should be under 200 mg/dL. The ideal level for LDL cholesterol is under 100 mg/dL and triglycerides should be under 150 mg/dL. HDL, which is often referred to as good cholesterol, differs in that higher numbers are better. HDL levels of 60 mg/dL or higher are considered protective against heart disease.
Considerations
There is an increasing interest in measuring cholesterol and triglyceride levels in people who have not fasted. Researchers believe that measuring lipids this way is more indicative of the normal amount of lipids in the bloodstream.
Tips
It may help to schedule a fasting lipid profile for early in the morning. This way, you can eat an early dinner and go to sleep, which will be your period of fasting. Bring a snack with you to your doctor's appointment so that you can put something in your stomach directly after your test.
Be honest with your doctor as well. If you were unable to successfully fast for the nineto 12 hours, let your doctor know. If you are not honest, it may lead your doctor to make the wrong diagnosis.
