Please continue to take your prescribed medications and drink plenty of water unless you have been instructed otherwise.

Tests requiring overnight fasting are: The Kraft 5-hour insulin/ glucose tolerance test, CMP, BMP, and Lipids. When fasting, always drink plenty of water (only water) and diabetics should take into consideration holding morning dose of diabetic medications while fasting.

What tests may be done?

  1. Metabolic Panels: There are two types of metabolic panels we may do. A basic metabolic panel (BMP) will look at electrolytes and kidney function. A complete metabolic panel (CMP) will look at electrolytes, kidney function, and liver functions as well. You will need this done if you are going for a procedure, such as cardiac catheterization.
  2. A complete blood count (CBC) will look at your red blood cells, white blood cells, platelet count. This will let us know if you are anemic, have low platelets, or have an infection. You will also need this test done before any procedures, such as cardiac catheterization.
  3. Glycosylated Hemoglobin (HBA1C) is a three month average of your fasting blood sugars. This will let us know if your blood sugars have been adequately controlled.
  4. Lipid Panels: Our lipid panels at CVI look at total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, and direct LDL. We do this to assess your cardiovascular risk in the future. We are very aggressive in treating these values.
  5. Aspirin Sensitivity Test: We do this test on patients who take aspirin. 20% of the general population will not respond to aspirins anti-platelet properties; therefore, we do this test to make sure you are getting the full benefit of aspirin.
  6. P2Y12 Test: This test will be done on patients who are taking Plavix or Effient. This test is done to make sure your platelets are being inhibited appropriately.
  7. Urine Analysis: This test will analyze your urine for the presence of glucose (sugar), protein, blood, and white blood cells, which may indicate infection, bleeding, or severity of kidney damage.
  8. Beta Natriuretic Peptide or BNP is a test which shows the severity of congestive heart failure. As your blood volume increases, certain muscle fibers will become stretched, and secrete this hormone in the blood, which we then measure.
  9. Insulin Response to Glucose, 5 Specimens: is a test which shows the insulin response to glucose infusion is useful in evaluating patients with hypoglycemia and Hyperglycemia and suspected insulin-resistance.  The test requires the patient to be fasting throughout the duration of this 5-6 hour long test. Patients should be NPO after midnight prior.