Can i drink water before a fasting blood test for diabetes

What is fasting for a blood test?

If your health care provider has told you to fast before a blood test, it means you should not eat or drink anything, except water, for several hours before your test.

How soon should you drink water before a blood test

While you're fasting for a blood test, you also should not:

How long do I have to fast before the test?

You usually need to fast for 8 to 12 hours before a test, but your provider will tell you exactly how long to fast.

For certain tests, you may be asked not to drink alcohol for a longer period of time.

If your blood test requires fasting, you can usually schedule the test early in the morning. That way, most of your fasting time will be while you are sleeping.

Why do I need to fast before my blood test?

When you eat and drink, your bloodstream absorbs sugar, fat, protein, and other nutrients in those foods and beverages.

That could affect the results of certain blood tests and lead to the wrong diagnosis.

What types of blood tests require fasting?

Some examples of common blood tests that usually require fasting are:

• Blood sugar (glucos
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