Dear Editor,
The Public Relations Office of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation wishes to enlighten Mr. Thomas B. Singh (`What is the usefulness of a non-fasting cholesterol blood test?’  SN Oct. 28)  and the general public on the usefulness of a non-fasting cholesterol blood test.

Cholesterol is a type of fat which serves as an important building block for many substances in the body such as cell membranes and sex hormones, among others. Cholesterol is present in the foods we eat and some amount is manufactured by our liver.

A non-fasting blood sample for cholesterol testing serves as a guide to the physician about the individual’s cholesterol level. These fasting samples are required for accurate measurements of cholesterol to determine who the borderline patients are (those individuals whose cholesterol levels are just above or below the normal range) and who have severely high levels of cholesterol. It is important to note that a cholesterol level may be elevated by the foods we eat, for example, a hamburger that has a lot of mayonnaise; and seafood, particularly, shrimp.

Fasting samples are recommended for testing the various types of cholesterol; for what is known as a complete lipid profile, which consists of the various types of cholesterol, that is, HDL (good cholesterol), LDL (bad cholesterol) VLDL (intermediate level); and triglycerides, which are severely influenced by our diet.

A non-fasting cholesterol test and a fasting cholesterol test do not vary tremendously, however, because of the fact that our food intake influences our cholesterol level, for the purpose of accuracy; a fasting cholesterol test is required by the physician.
Yours faithfully,
Ms. Proctor (PRO)
Georgetown Public
Hospital Corporation