Is Fasting Necessary For Lipid Profile Determination?

The purpose of the present study was to analyze postprandial lipid profile changes in response to a typical Argentine meal. Blood was collected from 33 female volunteers after a 12 h fasting period (T-0), 1 h after a standardized breakfast (T-1) and 1 h after a standardized lunch (T-2). The levels of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglycerides were measured. Data were analyzed using paired Student's t-test. Mean difference % (MD %) was calculated for each analyte at T-1 and T-2 and was further compared with reference change value (RCV). MDs % higher than RCV were considered clinically significant. At T-1 and T-2, HDL-C values were lower than at T-0, whereas LDL-C values at T-1 were lower than at T-0. Triglycerides levels were significantly higher at T-1 than baseline values. In all cases, variability was statistically, though not clinically, significant. This study demonstrates that at T-1 and T-2 lipid profile showed no clinically significant differences with respect to basal values.