Normal Cholesterol Levels: Fasting vs. Nonfasting Results

Normal cholesterol ranges vary by age and gender. Understand the differences between fasting and nonfasting tests and how to naturally raise good cholesterol.

The Effects of Eating Before Cholesterol Test

Published Aug,14 2017 | By Karen Hellesvig-Gaskell

A complete cholesterol test is a collection of blood tests that determine the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides (a type of fat) in your blood. HDL cholesterol is defined as "good" while LDL is considered "bad." Separate blood tests are required to gauge each type of cholesterol.

Karen Hellesvig-Gaskell is a broadcast journalist who began writing professionally in 1980. Her writing focuses on parenting and health, and has appeared in “Spirituality & Health Magazine" and “Essential Wellness.” Hellesvig-Gaskell has worked with autistic children at the Fraser School in Minneapolis and as a child care assistant for toddlers and preschoolers at the International School of Minnesota, Eden Prairie.