To avoid serum lipemia, how long should animals be fasted?

To avoid serum lipemia, how long should animals be fasted?

• A. 2 hours
• B. 4 hours
• C. 8 hours
• D. 12 hours

Answer: (D)

Post-meal fats raise triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in the blood, causing a milky, lipemic serum that can interfere with many tests. Giving enough time to fast lets these postprandial lipids clear and triglyceride levels return toward baseline. A shorter fast (2–8 hours) often isn’t enough to eliminate lipemia, while a 12-hour fast is the standard duration used to minimize lipemia for most routine assays.

Post-meal fats raise triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in the blood, causing a milky, lipemic serum that can interfere with many tests. Giving enough time to fast lets these postprandial lipids clear and triglyceride levels return toward baseline. A shorter fast (2–8 hours) often isn’t enough to eliminate lipemia, while a 12-hour fast is the standard duration used to minimize lipemia for most routine assays.