In Kids, Cholesterol Testing can be Performed Without Fasting

A new study has suggested that fasting overnight before a cholesterol test may not always be necessary.

"Cholesterol testing can be very difficult for families. When having to fast, this almost always means the child has to return on another morning for the test, which can be very problematic for busy families," said Asheley C. Skinner, lead author of the study.

Cholesterol - Lipoproteins - Functions - Normal Blood Cholesterol Levels - Causes - Treatment - FAQs
Cholesterol is produced by the body (liver) and is essential for normal body functioning.

Studies in adults have shown that some parts of cholesterol testing can be performed without fasting.

To see if the same holds true for youngsters, Dr. Skinner, Eliana Perrin, and Michael J. Steiner, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, studied a nationally representative sample of about 17,000 children and adolescents.

They used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2006), which include results of cholesterol testing on children ages 3 and older and whether they had fasted for eight hours or more.

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High cholesterol level in blood are a risk for heart disease and stroke. They get deposited in the wall of the arteries and clog the circulation posing a threat to life.

Researchers looked at whether total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoproteins (HDL), low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and triglycerides were related to whether the child had fasted.

Results showed that those who fasted for at least eight hours and those who did not fast had similar levels of TC and HDL (good) cholesterol, and that LDL (bad) cholesterol was only slightly higher when fasting. Triglycerides did vary depending on whether the child had fasted.

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The word 'Cholesterol' rings danger bells as soon as it is mentioned. This important chemical is important for the normal metabolism of the body and is dangerous only if present in excess.

"These results suggest it might be acceptable to simply test children immediately during whatever clinical visit prompted the recommendation to test," Dr. Skinner said.

The study has been presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

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Source-ANI
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