For the study, researchers compared cholesterol testing results of 300,000 people from Denmark, Canada, and the U.S. In both the U.S. and Canada, fasting for eight hours before a test is required. In Denmark, however, it is not.
Patients who are scheduled for a lipid profile test should fast (except for water) for 12-14 hours before the blood sample is drawn. If the patient's cholesterol is to be fractionated, he or she also should avoid alcohol for 24 hours before the test. http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Ato...
If the fasting lipid profile is normal, a child should be screened again in three to five years. If the cholesterol level is high and the child cannot lower it by lifestyle changes in 6 to 12 months, then it is recommended to start medications such as statins to lower the cholesterol level. Normal cholesterol levels are different for children. Total cholesterol should be less than 170 and the LDL cholesterol should be less than 110. The rationale for these guidelines is that atherosclerosis which leads to heart disease starts very early in life.