Everyone seems to suggest that dieting will improve my blood test results but, for the second time now, when I have been
1. dieting and
2. fasting over 12 hours...
I have had bad lipid results. A few years ago I was dieting and fasting and my LDL came back at 220. My doctor freaked and wanted to put me on meds. We had my VLDL tested and it showed that the vast majority of the LDL was the LARGE particles that were considered not to be dangerous. But the next time I had my cholesterol tested and I wasn't fasting it went down to 158. It is about that every time I get it tested when I am either not dieting or not fasting.
Recently I did the same thing (fasting and dieting) and .. same result.
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S/C/G: 217/179/142
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I have heard of this, but I don't know why it happens. Since I am on statins, I cannot really relate to it. I believe it is not the same for everyone. Dieting/fasting improves blood work for some, and worsens it in others. I think I read that results can get worse when you first start out, but improve as you continue on. I am not telling you to ignore your doctor's advice, just giving my opinion on why.
I am not telling you to ignore your doctor's advice, just giving my opinion on why.
Ha, I am fine with ignoring my doctors advice. Again this time she wanted to put me on meds but I told her no and explained the issue. You can see it on my blood work. Fasting blood work is much more likely to cause a high LDL. Frankly I also find it makes my blood sugar worse --but the result was still low. 90.
My sister has this same issue so I am presuming it is genetic.
Someone once suggested that your body is put under stress when your not getting enough food LDL is one of the ways your body deals with stress. This makes me wonder if I should be getting my lipids done in the afternoon. I would say 95% of my lipid tests are either fasting or after a small breakfast.
I have always had trouble staying hydrated during dieting and fasting. Even if I drink water I tend to use the facilities more.
Great detective work, Ann!! You may have hit the nail on the head! I have a tendency to get dehydrated, since I hate having to run to the bathroom so much. Because of a recent medical development I have been instructed to limit my fluids, but they didn't really tell me what that means. How much is too little and how much is too much. I will have to put that on my list of questions for my next doctor's appointment.
Now I really wonder what result it would make for my cholesterol tests. I have 99% of those tests early morning. Right after coffee. Even if I have breakfast and am not dieting it is likely that I am not as fully hydrated as I might be if I had the tests later in the day. Frankly I am not at all sure if I have even ever had a cholesterol test past 12 PM.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 12,398
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Height: 5'2
My doctor insists that all my cholesterol testing is fasting, with no coffee, only water. As soon as I arrive at the lab they ask if I fasted, and I don't think they would test if I didn't. But it sounds like the hydration is important.
My doctor insists that all my cholesterol testing is fasting, with no coffee, only water. As soon as I arrive at the lab they ask if I fasted, and I don't think they would test if I didn't. But it sounds like the hydration is important.
You should mention the dehydration study to your doctor. My doctor tells me fasting isn't required anymore since about 2012 or so.
Well, I had my cholesterol retested. I did not fast and had 5 glasses of water and grapes before going. It was better but not that much better. Total Cholesterol was 254. LDL was 164.
But these are my "normal" numbers.
Last time was total cholesterol 284 and LDL was in the 202 range.
Just have come here. Happy to see lots of you are engaging. why not let me be one of yours. Nothing is more importent then having a good health. wisqhing you all yor well beings.
I know you might be thinking -- why hack your results? But what he says is that if indeed how you eat can majorly effect your blood tests -- than your blood tests don't really mean anything. And your doc telling you to fast is guaranteed to raise your results.
Basically what he says is 100% what I have seen on my results. Not eating or.. not eating fat for a long time before a cholesterol test sends my cholesterol number through the roof. The last time I had my test done I was on a diet AND I fasted for about 17 hours. My results were really high. This has happened before.
Then on the second test, I ate normally and did not fast.. and the results went down.
This is really useful to know, thank you. I had my first cholesterol test the other month as I'm now 40, and it was 5.8, which would be 224 to Americans. We were puzzled because I'm on the ideal diet for controlling cholesterol, vegan wholefoods, and have been for decades. I wasn't dieting, but it was first thing in the morning, I was halfway through breakfast when the nurse turned up, and hastily gulping down fluids so that I'd be hydrated enough for her to get blood out of me. I'll bear in mind that the results might be a bit hit or miss, then. My GP said she's not planning statins anyway, I don't have enough of the other risk factors.
Blood Tests WORSE when dieting.
