A fasting blood test is a blood sample taken from a person who has not eaten for 8 to 12 hours. Usually, the blood sample is taken early in the morning.
Examples of blood tests that may be done after a period of fasting include fasting blood sugar (fasting plasma glucose) and lipid profile (cholesterol and triglycerides).
Current as of:
December 7, 2017
Author:
Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine & Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine & Matthew I. Kim, MD - Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism & David C. W. Lau, MD, PhD, FRCPC - Endocrinology