Going to the doctor can be nerve-wracking, especially if you know you're due for bloodwork. Many people get queasy at the word "blood," let alone the sight of it—even if it's their own. Plus, you may not love needles (does anyone?). Still, lab results can provide vital information about your health, including your risk for cardiovascular disease (cholesterol levels) and diabetes (blood sugar).
But doctors say it's equally vital to follow the directions they and the lab give you.
"I always remind patients that bloodwork is only useful if it is accurate," says Dr. Uma Darji, MD, a family physician in North Carolina. "These results guide our clinical decisions, and following instructions before lab draws helps make sure that we are getting a true idea of your baseline health."
Another physician agrees, saying that when your doctor has an accurate picture of your overall health, they can develop an appropriate care plan for you.
"As a family medicine doctor, I am always looking to rule in or rule out different conditions or confirm a diagnosis, and an important component of that evaluation is bloodwork," Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD, the founder of CliniciansWhoCare.com, tells Parade.
From there, Dr. Curry-Winchell says, she can prescribe medication and order additional testing. But inaccurate lab results can lead to misdiagnoses and unnecessary extra steps, like imaging and prescriptions you don't really need.
So, doctors say it's vital to avoid certain common mistakes before bloodwork, and one in particular. Scroll on to find out what it is.
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Don’t Do This Before Your Next Blood Test, Doctors Warn
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You may not think drinking black coffee could skew blood test results, because you're not adding anything like milk that would spike your blood sugar. But this isn't the case.
"Black coffee can influence mainly dehydration values," explains Dr. Yoshua Quinones, MD, a board-certified Internist with Medical Offices of Manhattan and labfinder.com contributor. "It can also influence your cholesterol, [including] triglycerides and A1C blood sugar levels."
It may surprise you to learn that black coffee can affect your A1C, even if you didn't add sugar or milk (a carb) to your cup. To be clear, doctors don't recommend coffee with add-ins, either.
"Coffee with cream or sugar is much more likely to alter your results," Dr. Darji says. "Sugar directly will elevate your blood glucose levels, and cream or milk will alter your cholesterol levels. With fasting labs, coffee with cream or sugar is not allowed."
Some studies don't find a clinically significant link between pre-bloodwork coffee intake and health markers, such as blood sugar and cholesterol.
Still, doctors, including those at the Cleveland Clinic and Dr. Curry-Winchell, don't recommend black coffee before blood draws, either. In fact, Dr. Curry-Winchell recently observed the effects of black coffee on bloodwork in her practice. One of her patients had two cups of black coffee the morning before his blood draw. His A1C put him in the range for a pre-diabetes diagnosis (5.7% to 6.4%).
"When we repeated the labs, his glucose levels were back to normal," she says. "In his case, it only resulted in an extra blood draw, but it could have been worse, yet it still led to two visits to the lab, an extra doctor visit and stress while he waited for the results."
Related: ‘I’m an Endocrinologist, and This Is the #1 Coffee Order I Recommend for Stable Blood Sugar’
Black coffee may not have as big of an effect on your fasting bloodwork as coffee with cream or sugar does, but it can alter it.
"Unlike coffee with cream or sugar, it doesn’t contain calories, so it’s less likely to directly spike glucose or triglycerides, which is part of your cholesterol panel," Dr. Darji says. "However, caffeine can still lead to some changes."
It's true that black coffee is bitter without any added sugar, cream or milk. But it can still mess with your blood glucose numbers, and your doctor uses these numbers to screen you for diabetes and pre-diabetes.
"In terms of blood glucose tests, what’s being measured is your body’s ability to regulate sugar," says Dr. Brynna Connor, MD, a healthcare ambassador at NorthWestPharmacy.com. "Coffee stimulates cortisol and adrenaline, and in some individuals, this causes an increase in blood sugar, and even a small elevation in blood sugar levels can shift your results into a higher category."
When stress hormones and insulin are affected, it can have a ripple effect on the rest of the body—and your blood test results. "They can affect results as they can impact LDL and HDL, white blood cells, suppress TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) and electrolytes," Dr. Connor explains.
Also, coffee is a diuretic, meaning it can cause dehydration. If you hate the blood draw process, you'll want to take this one to heart.
"Dehydration...makes it harder to draw blood," Dr. Curry-Winchell says. "If you are dehydrated, the phlebotomist may have difficulty accessing your veins, which can increase the chance of having multiple sticks and a longer, more painful appointment."
She warns that dehydration can also make some results appear higher than they are, including blood urea nitrogen (BUN), which reflects how well the kidneys filter toxins from the body. "When you are dehydrated, it can cause the lab results to be elevated, giving a false impression that your kidneys are not working well," she explains.
Related: ‘I’m a Cardiologist—This Is the First Thing I Always Look at in a Patient’s Lab Results’
Can You Ever Drink Black Coffee Before a Blood Test?
"It depends on the type of test," Dr. Darji says. "For fasting labs, the standard recommendation is to avoid anything other than water for about eight to 12 hours beforehand, which typically includes coffee."
Certain types of bloodwork require fasting, while others may not. Your best bet is to ask your doctor and the lab, but Dr. Connor says that fasting is typically required for blood tests that look at:
Fasting glucoseLipid panels (especially triglycerides)Comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP)Basic metabolic panel (BMP)Dr. Connor notes that fasting typically isn't required for blood tests to check your:
ThyroidVitamin level (often)Complete blood count (CBC)Keep in mind that your doctor may be checking multiple health markers—like triglycerides and vitamin levels—so it's always best to ask. "If your bloodwork doesn’t require fasting, a small cup of black coffee is probably fine, but you should always follow the lab’s instructions and/or your physician’s guidance," Dr. Connor says.
Related: Drinking Coffee Has One Very Surprising Health Benefit
Besides following fasting instructions to a T, including potentially abstaining from black coffee, Dr. Quinones says you can take other steps to ensure your blood test goes smoothly.
He suggests:
Staying hydrated by drinking plenty of waterWearing short sleeves, so it's easy to access your armsTaking your medications, unless otherwise directedBringing the papers your doctor gave you when they ordered the labworkBringing your IDAvoiding alcohol 24 hours before the testNot engaging in vigorous exercise right before the labAnd remember: "Don't drink coffee for at least eight hours prior," Dr. Quinones says.
Up Next:
Related: Here’s Exactly What Happens to Your Body When You Drink Coffee Every Day
Sources:
Dr. Uma Darji, MD, a family physician in North CarolinaDr. Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD, the founder of CliniciansWhoCare.comDr. Yoshua Quinones, MD, a board-certified Internist with Medical Offices of Manhattan and labfinder.com contributor Dr. Brynna Connor, MD, a healthcare ambassador at NorthWestPharmacy.comEffect of Black Coffee on Fasting Metabolic Markers and an Abbreviated Fat Tolerance Test. Current Developments in Nutrition.Coffee intake one hour prior to phlebotomy produces no clinically significant changes in routine biochemical test results. Biochema Medica.Fasting for Blood Work. Cleveland Clinic.Hence then, the article about don t do this before your next blood test doctors warn was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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