ABSTRACT
Introduction:
Determination of lipid profile includes triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol and fractions as high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c). These parameters are valuable in the risk assessment of developing cardiovascular disease. However, some pre-analytical factors, such as the fasting state, may interfere with the results of these tests.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to evaluate differences on lipid profile measurements in blood samples collected at different fasting periods in men and women with or without a diagnosis of hypercholesterolemia.
Methods:
Fifty volunteers of both sexes, aged between 22 and 86 years, were evaluated. Sociodemographic data and two blood samples were collected, one after 12 hours fast and another during postprandial period, with subsequent measurement of total cholesterol, HDL-c, LDL-c and TG.
Results:
Comparing the values of the lipid profile obtained in the two collections, it was observed that the total cholesterol and HDL-c did not present significant differences among the evaluated subjects. On the other hand, LDL-c and TG showed significant higher values on postprandial samples, preferably in male group.
Conclusion:
These data suggest that TG and LDL-c levels are the fractions with greater susceptibility to variations when they are collected without prior fasting.
Key words:
fasting; postprandial period; lipoprotein
