Finger-stick Fasting Blood Cholesterol

[TromboneAl]

I'm not clear on this. I'm going to go to a health fair and get a cholesterol test to see how 5 months of low carb (and high fat) affect my levels.

I talked to one of the organizers, saying I was going to fast, and he said "Oh no, we don't do the fasting cholesterol test, only the total."

Now, I had the feeling that those finger stick machines gave you all the numbers, HDL, LDL, and Triglycerides. So I figured that if I fast, then I can get all the information I need to calculat HDL and LDL.

Correct?

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

The LDL is calculated from the total and the triglycerides; the latter is greatly affected by eating. HDL is measured directly, so fasting is not necessary. If you don't fast, throw out the triglycerides and LDL.

FWIW, the "non-HDL" cholesterol (total - HDL) gives you the prognostic information very well.

 

[rescueme]

I get the finger stick total every eight weeks, when I contribute at the local blood bank and only get the total count.

However, since I'm a T2 diabetic, I do go to a heart care clinic every six months and get the fasting test which does the full breakdown of the three indicators (HDL, LDL, Tri's).

BTW, I do get elevated Tri's, but this has been traced back to possibly my slightly elevated ingestion of my daily infusion of wine ...

I have a blood test scheduled for next Monday and have not had a glass of vino for at least the last three weeks. Let's see how that works out

At least the wine gets the fats off the wall and well circulated (the doc dosen't buy that theory...)

 

[TromboneAl]

Do those machines always give the level of the triglycerides?

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Do those machines always give the level of the triglycerides?

No; it varies.