COMPLETE LIPID PROFILE STANDARD CONDITIONS

When to investigate lipoprotein status?
The concentrations of TC, HDL-C and LDL-C measured in the fasted and postprandial manner do not
differ statistically significantly, the difference up is only in the level of TAG. The logical argument
supporting the determination of parameters of lipoprotein metabolism at any time during the day is that
currently, our metabolism is almost permanently postprandial, fasting for more than 10 hours is rare.
Also, adherence to fasting and collection time can be difficult for the patient, delaying the examination,
or not completing it at all. For these reasons, postprandial lipoprotein metabolism testing is permitted
for general risk screening, and for assessment of cardiovascular risk by scoring systems that take into
account only total cholesterol levels. For a complete examination of lipoprotein metabolism, the blood
for lipids investigation should be still taken under standard conditions: after 10–12 hours of fasting, while
maintaining a standard diet and physical activity 2 days before collection. There are several reasons:
− TAG levels increase after meals, in healthy people the increase is significantly lower than in individuals
with insulin resistance (T2DM, metabolic syndrome).
− The TAG increase depends on the amount and composition of the diet and on the time of collection.
− Reference ranges of lipoprotein metabolism markers are derived under standard conditions.
− Recommendations from professional societies state values of markers of lipoprotein metabolism
determined under standard conditions.
− The examination may also include measuring of fasting glucose and insulinemia (metabolic syndrome).