HI everyone,

I am posting because I have a question about a trygliceride result on my blood work. My Dr. said that my level was elevated but didn't say how much. This is my question, I ate like 3 hours before the test. Is this gonna alter my results any? And if your wondering, I ate hash browns from burger king. Also my total cholesterol is ok but she said my HDL is low, like 25.Any answers would be great!!

Eating hash browns three hours before a blood test can certainly elevate your triglycerides. In order to get an accurate triglyceride reading, you really should fast twelve hours before blood is drawn.

I read on one lab results website that non-fasting triglycerides after a high-carb meal can be as much as ten times what a fasting triglycerides result might be! So ignore those results and fast for 12 to 14 hours next time. Also, don't consume any alcohol within 24 hours, as it can influence the test for longer.

You can increase your HDL by increasing exercise, drinking up to one glass of wine daily (for women and smaller men) or up to two glasses (for larger men), and reducing sugar in the diet. Adding eggs will likely also increase HDL, but it will increase LDL, too, so you might not want to add them unless your LDL is fairly low and you can spare a few extra points there.