Relevant English-language peer-reviewed studies were identified through a literature search of MEDLINE and specific health economic journals through 2016. Bibliographies from these references as well as meta-analyses and applicable guideline statements were also reviewed.
Lipid testing plays a major role in cardiovascular risk stratification and the assessment of responses to clinical interventions. Historically, it has been recommended that blood samples for lipid testing should be obtained after an 8- to 12-hour fast. Despite that we spend the vast majority of our time in nonfasting conditions, fasting samples have been the standard for measurement of triglycerides and cholesterol because measuring lipids in the fasting state is believed to reduce variability and allow for a more accurate derivation of the commonly used Friedewald-calculated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. However, if postprandial effects do not substantially alter lipid levels or their association with cardiovascular risk, then a nonfasting blood draw has many practical advantages.1 Indeed, recent studies suggest that postprandial effects do not weaken, and even may strengthen, the risk associations of lipids with cardiovascular disease (CVD).