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Is fasting blood sugar 8 or 12 hours?

Fasting blood sugar is a simple, common blood test to diagnose prediabetes, diabetes or gestational diabetes. Before the test, you shouldn't have anything to eat or drink (except water) for 8 to 12 hours.

my.clevelandclinic.org - Fasting Blood Sugar: Screening Test for Diabetes - Cleveland Clinic

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Prediabetes, Type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes often have no symptoms at first. A person can have the condition and not know it. Healthcare providers usually order a fasting blood sugar test: Fasting blood sugar is a simple, common blood test to screen for diabetes , prediabetes or gestational diabetes (during pregnancy). It’s also called a fasting blood glucose test.

Test Details

How does blood glucose work?

Blood sugar, or glucose, is the main sugar found in your blood. When you eat or drink, your body breaks down carbohydrates in the food or liquid into sugar for energy. Then your pancreas produces a hormone called insulin, which helps blood sugar enter your body’s cells. It also helps your body store blood sugar for later use. As the cells use the blood sugar, glucose and insulin levels in the blood decrease. But with diabetes, your body has trouble regulating glucose. Either your pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin, or your body doesn’t process insulin effectively. Therefore, the amount of sugar in your blood is higher than normal. And a lot of glucose in your blood is bad for your body. A fasting blood glucose test measures the amount of glucose in your blood when it should be at its lowest. That happens in the morning and when you haven’t had anything to eat or drink for a while.

How do I prepare for a fasting blood sugar test?

To prepare for a fasting glucose test, you should have nothing to eat or drink (except water) for 8 to 12 hours. Your healthcare provider will tell you how long to fast.

What can I expect on the day of the test?

A fasting blood glucose test is often done with a common blood draw. A healthcare provider will:

Clean the area inside your elbow to kill any germs.

Tie a band around your upper arm, which will help the veins in your arm fill with blood. Insert a clean needle into a vein (which feels like a brief pinch). Draw blood into a vial that’s attached to the needle and labeled with your personal information.

Remove the band and then the needle.

Put pressure on the needle insertion site to stop the bleeding.

Place a bandage on the area.

After the test, the healthcare provider will send the blood sample to a lab for testing. In some cases, your healthcare provider may be able to test your blood sugar with a prick on the finger instead of a needle in the vein. The provider uses a blood glucose monitor and test strip to measure your blood glucose level in the office.

Are there any risks with a fasting blood sugar test?

A blood test is a very common and safe test, with almost no chance of any complications.

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Can stress push up cholesterol?

Is stress linked to high cholesterol? The short is yes. Feeling under pressure for a long time can raise your risk of high cholesterol and even heart disease.

webmd.com - Is There a Link Between Stress and High Cholesterol - WebMD

Is stress linked to high cholesterol? The short is yes. Feeling under pressure for a long time can raise your risk of high cholesterol and even heart disease. But you can take steps to get your stress under control and protect your heart. How Stress Affects Your Heart Health Everyone has stress from time to time, whether from work, financial trouble, family problems, or facing a big life change, like moving. When you’re feeling strained, your body releases adrenaline and cortisol, hormones that rev up your heart, sharpen your brain, and help you deal with problems. A little stress may even be good for you by helping you focus on a challenge in your life and work harder to overcome it. Constant stress is another story. If it’s nonstop and lasts for a long time, your stress hormones remain at high levels and put a dangerous strain on your heart and other parts of your body. High levels of cortisol from chronic or long-term stress can cause high blood cholesterol, along with other heart disease risks. Over time, excess LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol can build up in your arteries, causing them to become clogged and hard. Stress also triggers inflammation that lowers your HDL, or “good,” cholesterol, which helps clear out extra LDL. In general, healthy adults should have: Total cholesterol: below 200 mg/dL LDL cholesterol: less than 100 mg/dL, or below 70 mg/dL for people with heart disease or diabetes HDL cholesterol: 40 mg/dL or higher for men, 50 mg/dL or higher for women

Triglycerides: less than 150 mg/dL

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