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Duration of Fasting, Serum Lipids, and Metabolic Profile in Early Childhood

Laura N Anderson1, Jonathon L Maguire2, Gerald Lebovic3

  • 1Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The Journal of Pediatrics
|October 16, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Fasting before blood tests in young children has minimal impact on lipid levels, suggesting it may not be necessary for accurate lipid measurements. Glucose and insulin levels are affected by fasting, but the clinical significance for children is small.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Clinical Chemistry
  • Metabolic Research

Background:

  • Fasting before blood tests is a common practice, but its necessity for lipid and metabolic assessments in young children is not well-established.
  • Understanding the impact of fasting duration on these tests is crucial for appropriate clinical interpretation and practice guidelines.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the association between fasting duration and lipid and metabolic test results in healthy children aged 0-6 years.
  • To determine if fasting is necessary for accurate lipid measurements in early childhood.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study of 2713 healthy children aged 0-6 years was conducted.
  • Linear regression was used to analyze the associations between fasting duration (0-5 hours) and various blood test results, adjusting for relevant covariates.

Main Results:

  • Fasting duration showed no significant association with total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, non-HDL, or triglyceride levels.
  • Glucose, insulin, and HOMA-IR showed significant associations with fasting duration, with notable percentage changes observed.
  • The effect of fasting on lipid and metabolic tests did not significantly differ by age or sex, though weight status may influence HDL and triglyceride results.

Conclusions:

  • Little evidence supports the need for fasting prior to lipid measurement in healthy young children.
  • The effect of fasting on glucose levels in this cohort was small and potentially not clinically significant.
  • Fasting has a minimal impact on serum lipid tests in early childhood, questioning its routine requirement.
Abstract

Keywords:
blood testscardiometaboliccholesterolglucoseinsulinpostprandial

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