[A fasting lipid profile is not a necessity in majority of cases].

For decades, a fasting lipid profile was required to predict the cardiovascular risk of patients. This was due to the assumption that if low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is calculated with the Friedewald Formula, LDL-C is dependent on the triglycerides concentration, which can vary after fat consumption. However, several prospective studies show minimal differences of lipid values in fasting and non-fasting lipid profiles. There is also evidence that a non-fasting lipid profile is equally accurate in the prediction of cardiovascular risk. Only in select cases, such as non-fasting triglycerides > 8 mmol/l (708 mg/dl), it is advised to obtain a fasting lipid profile. In conclusion, it is not a necessity to obtain a fasting lipid profile for determining cardiovascular risk. This has many advantages for patients, laboratories and physicians.