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Patient-reported fasting status for glucose-tolerance testing compared with fasting status identified by total bile-acid concentrations
  1. Mansour Sargazi,
  2. William D Neithercut
  1. Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Wirral University Teaching Hospital, Upton, Wirral, UK
  1. Correspondence to Dr Mansour Sargazi, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Wirral University Teaching Hospital, Upton, Wirral CH49 5PE, UK; msargazi{at}nhs.net

Abstract

Aim To investigate whether patients follow advice regarding the duration of a fast, prior to blood tests which require an overnight fast for their correct interpretation.

Method Patients referred for a glucose-tolerance test gave informed consent. They were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding the duration of their fast, and an additional blood sample was collected for fasting total bile-acid measurement.

Results 184 patients were recruited. The median duration of fast self reported by patients was 14 h (range 12–26 h). Total bile-acid concentrations were within the fasting reference range except for six individuals. The median total bile-acid concentration found was 2.1 μmol/l (range 0.1–19.5 μmol/l).

Conclusion All patients who self-reported a duration of fast reported a fast recognised as being adequate for fasting blood tests. This was confirmed in almost all by low normal total bile-acid measurements, which were well within the fasting range.

  • Fasting status
  • glucose-tolerance test
  • total bile acids
  • impaired fasting glycaemia
  • impaired glucose tolerance
  • chemical pathology

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Footnotes

  • Competing interests None.

  • Ethics approval Ethics approval was provided by the Cheshire REC Committee.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.