Wellness

[hckynut]

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@Lipstickdiva wrote:

I'm not sure how you can "prepare" for a blood test.  If you have high cholestrol, a few days or even a few weeks of healthy eating isn't going to change your numbers that much is it?

My DH has to have his A1C done every 3 months.  That test shows his average blood glucose readings over a 3 months period so eating good for 2 weeks out of that 3 months period is useless. 

I'm just not sure how you can prepare for a blood test.  

@Lipstickdiva

The time of day can change lipid readings as can food and drink. There is a reason that most discriminating doctors want to test lipids when a person has not eaten for X amount of hours. 

I personally want the most precise numbers possible, not just a "close as in horseshoes" number. As far as blood sugar numbers, I am far from knowing near as much as a diabetic, but I have seen diabetics sent back home when the nurses saw their blood sugar numbers when checked before our Cardiac Rehab Classes.

There also was a reason that I had almost daily full blood draws during the 7+ years I was on blood thinners. The numbers changed daily from "too high" to "too low", and for no known reason. Again, close does not count when you are talking INR/ProTime readings, or for those that have to closely monitor specific blood readings.

hckynut(john)

[Lipstickdiva]

@hckynut, yes cholestrol numbers would change depending on if you fast or not.  I forgot about that but white cell counts, red cell counts, etc. won't and I don't know about vitamin levels?

My DH is a diabetic.  He tests his blood daily but when you do that, the reading is your blood glucose level at that moment in time.  It will be affected by what you have eaten.  But an A1C test is the measure of your BG readings over a 3 month period.

I know of someone who tested herself in the mornings and right before dinner and her daily readings were always good.  Her A1C wasn't so great.  She was eating meals and snacks that were driving up her readings but was never testing at the times her numbers were up so she thought she was good.      

[hckynut]

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@Nightowlz wrote:

You would have to eat well longer then a couple of weeks to make a difference on your labs. 

Hi @Nightowlz,

That is not true with many blood readings, and blood lipid readings happen to be one of them. Many think their total cholesterol number is the panacea, it is not. A low total is a small part of the importance of lipid numbers. As I said in another post here, "there is a reason doctors prefer fasting pre lipid testing".

To me, the only one being hurt by trying to manipulate blood numbers, is the person who is having their blood tested. Makes no sense to me, but it is their choice.

hckynut(john)

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[SilleeMee]

Eating habits won't change test results except for the ones that require fasting. What I would be concerned about is how supplements and drugs would affect my results...like certain vitamins that elevate liver or kidney test results, or any other test results for that matter. 

[Sooner]

I always prepare!  I drink a some water when I get up so it comes out easier!  I tend to faint if it goes on too long!  

[chrystaltree]

Weird but I think eating well for a few weeks won't chang anything.  A pharmacist would know that.  It might blood sugar that is just borderline high but it would not affect cholesterol or anything else.  Meaning if a person has high lipids, tinkering with his diet for a couple of weeks might produce a minor change but it wouldn't bring it down to the normal range. 

[aubnwa01]

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@Sooner wrote:

I always prepare!  I drink a some water when I get up so it comes out easier!  I tend to faint if it goes on too long!  

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I drink a LOT of water before I go in to have labs done.  Both so that they can find a nice juicy vein & draw the blood they need easily & also, so I can do the pee in a jar stuff!  Several years ago, I went in & had gone bathroom when I got up (which is my normal thing to do) before going to the office & I ended up sitting in the waiting room pounding down water, for over an hour so I could make enough to give them a sample.  Since then, after I get up & go #1 in the AM, I do a constant downing of water until the lab tech calls my name to go back with them.

[tends2dogs]

The clinic I go to for my physicals never has me fast for cholesterol testing.  They said if it is high, they will retest after a fast and compare.  Mine isn't high and I have even had chips just before the blood draw........;0.

I go to a preventive clinic so they do things different than mainstream.  For example, I have thermograms rather than mammograms.

[Q4u]

Interesting because I've never thought of my doctor and myself being in some kind of parent - child relationship where she would "lecture" me on my lab results.  We're trying to work together to achieve good results but as everyone knows that doesn't happen every time.  She's matter of fact and I then have new resolve to better my results.  It's a constant renewal of determination so I don't become complacent.

My AIC's are good and pretty consistent but emotional and/or physical stress (as well as food) plays a huge part in those numbers.  Cholesterol is harder for me but each day is a clean slate and I really try.... so far, so good.  But no... I don't "prepare" in advance aside from fasting for 12 hours prior.  Really don't see how you can....  

[Financialgrl]

I am a cancer survivor who has to have blood drawn 4 times a year.  One of those blood draws is for an A1C bc one of the cancer drugs I take can affect glucose and cholesterol readings but the other 3 tests are just normal ones I fast.    

My blood is spot on however, when I have an A1C performed, it always shows higher sugar levels, whereas otherwise the other 3 times it shows lower readings and I don't try to bother to game them.  As already discussed the A1C has the ability to more accurately reflect a longer period of how you are eating so it's absolutely possible for someone to "game" their blood results to a degree unless their doctors do quarterly A1Cs like Lipstick Diva said her husband has.  For me, if any of the 3 regular blood draws shows an issue, we rerun again sooner to see if it could be an issue and as I've stated one of my 4 blood tests is always an A1C.