Why NABL?

National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) is an autonomous body under the aegis of Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, and is registered under the Societies Act 1860. NABL has been established with the objective to provide Government, Industry Associations and Industry in general with a scheme for third-party assessment of the quality and technical competence of testing and calibration laboratories. Government of India has authorized NABL as the accreditation body for Testing and Calibration Laboratories.

Laboratory accreditation uses criteria and procedures specifically developed to determine technical competence. Specialist technical assessors conduct a thorough evaluation of all factors in a laboratory that affect the production of test or calibration data. The criteria are based on the international standards called ISO/IEC 17025 or ISO 15189, which are used for evaluating laboratories throughout the world.

Laboratory accreditation bodies use this standard specifically to assess factors relevant to the laboratory’s technical competence, including the:-

• technical competence of staff
• validity and appropriateness of test methods
• traceability of measurements and calibrations to national standards
• suitability, calibration and maintenance of test equipment
• testing environment
• sampling, handling and transportation of test items
• quality assurance of test and calibration data

By this process, laboratory accreditation aims at assuring that the laboratory’s test or calibration data are accurate and reliable.The accreditation granted to a laboratory shall remain valid for a period of 2 years subject to satisfactory periodical (annual) surveillance. Laboratory also has an option to widen the scope of accreditation in terms of specific tests and calibrations. NABL has established policies and procedures for granting, suspending and withdrawal of accreditation of accreditation in accordance with ISO/IEC 17011:2004.
Medilab has gained international recognition in the field of diagnostic services after receiving NABL accreditation (ISO 15189:2007).

FBS (Fasting Blood Sugar) & PPBS (Post Prandial Blood Sugar)

Glucose is a type of sugar that serves as the main source of energy used by the body. Insulin is a hormone that helps the body's cells to use the glucose. Excess or shortage of insulin in the body causes an imbalance of the blood glucose in the body, leading to its severe drop or drastic increase in the blood. Blood glucose levels that remain high over time can cause damage to the eyes, kidneys, nerves and blood vessels. Chronic low glucose levels can lead to brain and nerve damage.

Fasting blood sugar (FBS): It measures blood sugar levels either after 8-12 hrs. or overnight fast and it is often the first test done to check for pre-diabetes and diabetes. Blood sugar levels outside the normal range may be an indicator of a medical condition. Fasting means refraining from eating or drinking any liquids other than water for eight hours. It is used as a test for diabetes. After fasting, a carbohydrate metabolism test is conducted which measures blood glucose levels.

A Postprandial Plasma Glucose Test: is a blood test that measures blood glucose levels following a meal containing a set amount of carbohydrate. Postprandial Plasma Glucose Tests show how tolerant the body is to glucose. Normally, blood glucose levels increase slightly after eating. This increase causes the pancreas to release insulin, which assists the body in removing glucose from the blood and storing it for energy. People with diabetes may not produce or respond properly to insulin, which causes their blood glucose to remain elevated. Blood glucose levels that remain high over time can damage the eyes, kidneys, nerves, and blood vessels. 2-hour postprandial blood test measures blood glucose exactly 2 hours after eating a meal, timed from the start of the meal. By this point blood sugar has usually gone back down in healthy people, but it may still be elevated in people with diabetes. Thus, it serves as a test of whether a person may have diabetes, or of whether a person who has diabetes is successfully controlling their blood sugar.

Why Veins appear blue?

The blood vessels in our bodies have slight shades of blue and red and these shades are the outcome of oxygen content in the “red blood cells.” Haemoglobin gives these cells their red colour (blood also has “white blood cells,” which are immune cells that lack haemoglobin). In a healthy person, the arteries that carry blood away from the heart are full with oxygen. This oxygen causes the blood to be bright red colour that penetrates the walls of the vessels. When this blood flows through the capillaries in the tissues, the haemoglobin releases the oxygen to the surrounding tissue cells, where it is converted to energy molecules.

The blood flowing from the capillaries into the veins on its way back to the heart and lungs have less oxygen, so blood in veins appears bluish-red. When looking at the skin, we can’t see the red arteries because they are located deep to keep them out of danger or harm. Instead, we see only veins. And they appear blue rather than red, especially in individuals with little melanin pigment in their skin (The pigment that gives human skin, hair, and eyes their colour. Dark-skinned people have more melanin in their skin than light-skinned people have).

In some people with lesser lung function, or mountaineers climbing high altitudes without bottled oxygen, the blood flowing from their heart to the tissues might be more bluish in tint than normal. This difference can be detected by looking at the colour of certain tissues with capillaries that are dense and close to the surface, such as the lips and nail-beds of the fingers. As a result, these individuals will appear to have blue lips and fingernails and this is not a good sign, because they lack oxygen in their tissues.

Hepatitis- A growing pain

Hepatitis means injury to the liver with inflammation of the liver cells. Your liver is the largest organ inside your body. It helps your body digest food, store energy, and remove poisons. Viruses cause most cases of hepatitis. The type of hepatitis is named for the virus that causes it; for example, hepatitis A, hepatitis B or hepatitis C. Drug or alcohol use can also cause hepatitis. In other cases, your body mistakenly attacks healthy cells in the liver. There are three main types of hepatitis that are caused by a virus, A, B & C.

Hepatitis A
This is caused by eating infected food or water. The food or water is infected with a virus called HAV (hepatitis A virus). Anal-oral contact during sex can also be a cause. Nearly everyone who develops Hepatitis A makes a full recovery - it does not lead to chronic disease.

Hepatitis B

This is an STD (sexually transmitted disease). It is caused by the virus HBV (hepatitis B virus) and is spread by contact with infected blood, semen, and some other body fluids. You get hepatitis B by:

• Unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected person (unprotected sex means without using a condom) Using a syringe that was previously used by an infected person (most commonly happens with drug addicts and people who inject steroids).
• Having your skin perforated with unsterilised needles, as might be the case when getting a tattoo, or being accidentally pricked. People who work in health care risk becoming infected by accident in this way. Sharing personal items, such as a toothbrush or razor, with an infected person.
• A baby can become infected through his mother's milk if she is infected.
• Being bitten by someone who is infected.

Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is usually spread through direct contact with the blood of a person who has the disease. It is caused by the virus HCV (hepatitis C Virus). The liver can swell and become damaged. In hepatitis C, unlike hepatitis B, liver cancer risk is only increased in people with cirrhosis and only 20% of hep C patients get cirrhosis. Feces are never a route of transmission in hepatitis C. Donated blood is also tested for hepatitis C.

The initial phase of hepatitis is called the acute phase. The symptoms are like a mild flu, and may include:

• Diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Mild fever
• Muscle or joint aches
• Nausea
• Slight abdominal pain
• Vomiting
• Weight loss.

The acute phase is not usually dangerous, unless it develops into the fulminant or rapidly progressing form, which can lead to death. As the patient gets worse, these symptoms may follow:

• Circulation problems (only toxic/drug-induced hepatitis)
• Dark urine
• Dizziness (only toxic/drug-induced hepatitis)
• Drowsiness (only toxic/drug-induced hepatitis)
• Enlarged spleen (only alcoholic hepatitis)
• Headache (only toxic/drug-induced hepatitis)
• Hives
• Itchy skin
• Light colored feces, the feces may contain pus
• Yellow skin, whites of eyes, tongue (jaundice).

Patient outcomes after the acute phase depend on various factors, especially the type of hepatitis.

Safe- Donated Blood

Blood is tested to determine the donor's ABO group (A, B, O, AB) and Rh type (positive or negative). This is critical in selecting compatible blood for a patient in need of a transfusion. Blood that has been donated is tested before giving it to any recipient. The various test that are carried out is crucial for all recipients as it is important that the blood that is used is not impure of infectious in any form. 

ANTIBODY DETECTION TEST
All donors are tested to determine if their blood contains unexpected antibodies to red blood cell antigens (genetic marker). These antibodies, if not identified, can cause problems in a blood recipient.

TESTS FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Screening donated blood for infectious diseases that can be transmitted through blood transfusion is very important in ensuring safety. A positive screening test in any of the following tests for infectious disease is followed by a confirmatory test, since it is possible to have false positive test results. A false positive occurs when the screening test is positive but it cannot be confirmed. This means a donor was not exposed to the infectious agent being tested for but the screening test was positive. The following eight tests are performed on each unit of donated blood:

1. Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg) and Core Antibody (anti-HBc): The hepatitis B virus has an inner core and an outer envelope (the surface). The HBsAg test detects the outer envelope or surface of the virus. The anti-HBc tests for the presence of antibodies to the inner core of the hepatitis B virus. In the absence of any other positive test for hepatitis B, the presence of antibodies to HBc suggests the individual may have had past exposure to the hepatitis B virus and it is unlikely he/she is infectious.
2. Hepatitis C Virus Antibody (anti-HCV) and Nucleic Acid Test (NAT): Two tests are Video Clip done to detect hepatitis C infection. The anti-HCV test detects antibodies to the hepatitis C virus. A positive result suggests the donor has been exposed to the hepatitis C virus and may be infectious. The second test detects RNA, the genetic material, of the hepatitis C virus. 
3. Alanine-Aminotransferase Test (ALT): The ALT measures the level of the liver enzyme (ALT) that is found in the blood. An elevated result suggests the possibility of abnormal liver function, but this may not necessarily be related to viral hepatitis. This test was initiated prior to more sophisticated tests performed today.
4. Human T-Lymphotrophic Virus Type I and Type II (HTLV I/II) Antibody: HTLV I/II testing detects antibody to the HTLV-I and HTLV-II viruses. HTLV-I has been associated with adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) and HTLV-I is associated with myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). HTLV-II has not been clearly associated with any diseases, but may lead to subtle abnormalities of the immune system.
   
5. Syphilis Antibody: This test has been performed on blood donors since shortly after World War II when the rate of infection was much higher. The risk of transmitting syphilis through a blood transfusion today is very small, since the rate of infection is low in blood donors and the organism causing syphilis is very fragile and unlikely to survive blood storage. 
6. Human Immunodeficiency Virus 2 (HIV-1/2) Combo Antibody and Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing (NAT): HIV-1 and/or HIV-2 virus cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS. HIV-1 is more common in the United States while HIV-2 is prevalent in Western Africa. Two tests are done for detecting HIV. One screens for antibodies to both HIV-1 and HIV-2 viruses. The other detects RNA, the genetic material, of the HIV-1 virus.

Criteria to keep in mind while choosing a Lab

Diagnostic Labs are growing and increasing in number and sometimes it becomes difficult to identify what aspects of a lab we should consider while choosing one. Different advertisements and technical aspects provoke us to go forward in choosing a lab. But what should our major concentrations focus on?

1. Fully Automated process (to avoid man made errors)

A Lab that is fully automated and mechanized is considered to provide more accurate and error free results. The testing of samples can be specific and detailed. And this also helps to reduce man-made errors that may otherwise occur.

2. Lab should have a resident subject expert- Technically qualified

Resident subject experts refer to those who are technically qualified to advice and correct mechanical errors, if any. In this way, the quality of the lab’s output is not disturbed and results will be as qualified as of the automated ones.

3. NABL Accreditation- National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories

Accreditation assists the Indian industries to enhance the quality and reliability of Indian goods in the domestic market and exports, thereby, catalysis the growth of Indian economy. WTO has identified non-acceptance of test results and measurement data as Technical Barrier to Trade (TBT) and accreditation is considered to be the first essential step towards removing such technical barriers. NABL provides accreditation in all major fields of Science and Engineering such as Biological, Chemical, Electrical, Electronics, Mechanical, Fluid-Flow, Non-Destructive, Photometry, Radiological, Thermal & Forensics under testing facilities and Electro-Technical, Mechanical, Fluid Flow, Thermal, Optical & Radiological under Calibration facilities. NABL also offers accreditation for medical testing laboratories.

4. Online Result Availability

Customers must be able to avail results online. In this way, people who are not able to come till the lab again can get their results in the electronic format, either through e-mails, mobile messages, or online checking of results and reports. This makes convenience for the customers.

5. Empanelled Doctors

The opinion and direction of doctors and standards followed around the world must be applicable in a lab you choose to diagnose yourself. These standards will help recognize the quality of the lab. These are the criteria that one must keep in mind while selecting a lab for their diagnosis. The lab with the above mentioned criteria would probably give you the most accurate results possible.

Vitamin-D Important for your health

Vitamin D can be found in small amounts in a few foods, including few fish. To make vitamin D more available, it is added to dairy products, juices, and cereals that are then said to be “fortified with vitamin D.” But most vitamin D – 80% to 90% of what the body gets – is obtained through exposure to sunlight. Vitamin D can also be made in the laboratory as medicine.

Vitamin D is used for preventing and treating rickets, a disease that is caused by not having enough vitamin D (vitamin D deficiency). Vitamin D is also used for treating weak bones, bone pain, bone loss in people with a condition called hyperparathyroidism, and an inherited disease in which the bones are especially brittle and easily broken. It is also used for preventing falls and low calcium and bone loss in people with kidney failure. Vitamin D is used for conditions of the heart and blood vessels, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol. It is also used for diabetes, obesity, muscle weakness, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, bronchitis, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and tooth and gum disease.

It is estimated that around 75% of the Indian population has Vitamin D levels less than normal. But without a blood test, there is just no way to know for sure if the vitamin D levels are low. Low Vitamin-D conditions are a growing concern in people around the world. It is important and safe that one gets checked-up for such deficiencies.

People who are at a general risk of Vitamin-D deficiency are People:

• with naturally very dark skin
• with little or no sun exposure
• who wear covering clothing for religious and cultural reasons
• who deliberately avoid sun exposure for cosmetic or health reasons
• at high risk of skin cancers and who therefore avoid exposure to the sun
• hospitalized or institutionalized for long periods (Old people)
• with a disability or chronic disease
• In occupations with little sun exposure, such as office workers, taxi drivers, factory workers or night-shift workers.

Therefore, low Vitamin D can put a person at risk for various diseases and Vitamin D is considered as a “Universal Risk Factor”. It is as important as sunlight, water and food. Everyone should have their Vitamin D levels checked, including children.

Know your Family Medical History

Your family medical history, sometimes called a medical family tree, is a record of illnesses and medical conditions affecting your family members. You inherit half of your genetic profile from each parent. Along with the genetic information that determines your appearance, you also inherit genes that might cause or increase your risk of certain medical conditions. A family medical history can reveal the history of disease in your family and allow you to identify patterns that might be relevant to your own health.

Your doctor might use your family medical history to:

•  Assess your risk of certain diseases
•  Recommend treatments or changes in diet or other lifestyle habits to reduce the risk of disease
•  Determine which diagnostic tests are appropriate for you
•  Determine the type and frequency of screening tests
•  Identify any other possible conditions that could arise
•  Identify other family members who are at risk of developing a certain disease
•  Assess your risk of passing conditions on to your children

Your family might want to work together to develop a family medical history. Consider kicking off the project at a family gathering, such as a holiday or reunion. Keep in mind, however, that some loved ones might be uncomfortable disclosing personal medical information — perhaps due to guilt, shame or a reluctance to face painful memories. You might want to consult family documents, such as existing family trees, baby books, old letters, obituaries or records from places of worship. Public records — birth certificates, marriage licenses and death certificates — are usually available in county record offices. If you or your family members maintain electronic personal health records, use them.

 If possible, your family medical history should include at least three generations. Compile information about your grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts, siblings, cousins, children, nieces, nephews and grandchildren. For each person, try to gather the following information:

Sex, Date of birth, Ethnicity Medical conditions, Mental health conditions, including alcoholism or other substance abuse, Pregnancy complications, including miscarriage, stillbirth, birth defects or infertility Age when each condition was diagnosed, Lifestyle habits, including diet, exercise and tobacco use, For deceased relatives, age at the time of death and cause of death, Pay special attention to conditions that develop earlier than usual, such as high blood pressure in early adulthood, or conditions that affect multiple relatives. 

Give your doctor a copy of your family medical history and ask him or her to review it with you. Your doctor might ask you questions for clarification and can help you interpret the relevance of certain patterns in your medical history, including the need for preventive measures or screening tests. Going forward, update your family medical history every couple of years. Be sure to share updates with your doctor.

Are you prepared for your Health?

Have you ever had to face a situation where you were un-prepared for a function or a party or un-informed guests to your house? Don’t you just wish they had just informed earlier so that you could make yourself presentable or your house neater? Well, something similar goes into the thought process of our health and the un-invited or un-informed health issues that just over take our lives and we just wish if only we had a clue some time earlier. This is the reason why the typical ancient saying goes, “Prevention is better than cure”. It may sound cheesy to most of us, but what if it was to relate to you sooner or later?

The idea is simple. To be prepared, you need to be aware and for that you need to check yourself periodically. If your health condition has not shown any doubtful symptoms, the best time is the beginning of a year. By having periodical check-ups, you can be prepared two or more steps ahead of your un-healthy conditions if any. Of course, unexpected circumstances are part of life and are often unavoidable. Sometimes sudden accidents and illnesses can destroy our ambitions and seriously reduce our quality of life.

For this reason, it is extremely important for us to do everything in our means to mitigate the risks of the unknown. By educating ourselves as much as we can about our health and taking the proper measures to take care of our bodies, we can greatly increase our chances of avoiding or at least correcting and managing health problems as soon as they begin to surface. It’s found that tobacco, poor diet, physical inactivity, and misuse of alcohol have been estimated to be responsible deaths annually. With sound health, we are capable of fully enjoying the company of our friends and family as well as achieve our career and personal goals. The checkup is truly a powerful aid for us to live longer, healthier and happier lives. So, treating a condition at its early stage is easier and preventing it is easier than getting a disease and taking medications for the same which are mush severe and probably harmful.

New Hormone that controls supply of iron in RBC production discovered

A research team from UCLA has discovered a new hormone called erythroferrone, which regulates the iron supply needed for red blood-cell production. Iron is an essential functional component of hemoglobin, the molecule that transports oxygen throughout the body. Researchers found that erythroferrone is made by red blood-cell in the bone marrow in order to match iron supply with the demands of red blood-cell production. Erythroferrone is greatly increased when red blood-cell production is stimulated, such as after bleeding or in response to anemia.

The erythroferrone hormone acts by regulating the main iron hormone called Hepcidin. Hepcidin controls the absorption of iron from food and the distribution of iron in the body. Increased erythroferrone suppresses hepcidin and allows more iron to be made available for red blood-cell production. Lack of Iron causes anemia and iron overload accumulates in the liver and organs, where it gets toxic and causes damage.

This discovery could also lead to treatments for other common anemia-related conditions associated with chronic kidney disease, rheumatologic disorders and other inflammatory diseases. In these conditions, iron is "locked up" by the effect of the hormone hepcidin, whose levels are increased by inflammation. Erythroferrone, or drugs acting like it, could suppress hepcidin and make more iron available for red blood-cell production. Studies are being carried out to understand the role of the new hormone in various blood diseases and study the molecular mechanisms through which erythroferrone regulates hepcidin.

Jet-lag and Blood Donation

A new Austrian research has come out with a study that, frequent flyers that undergo Jet-lag and people who work under Shift are prone to Heart diseases. According to them, it is because of the effects that it creates on the Red blood cells in our body. But this can be taken care of by simply donating blood and allowing the production of fresh young red blood cells.

This finding came about a research under the leadership of Dr. Margit Egg (University of Innsbruck), where they experimented on an organism called zebra fish, a model organism which, like humans, which is active during the day. This fish was made to be active on an alternate basis varying from 7 hours to 21 hours, which is similar to the shift work time patterns followed in an industry. Through this they found out that, the fish which were made active on shift basis showed higher numbers of aged red blood cells, which accumulated in the blood vessels. It is come to the understanding that, these aged blood cells get accumulated in our spleen and liver since they are less flexible. Normally, these aged blood cells are removed from the blood by itself, but the Jet-Lag has disrupted this process and researchers are yet to find out the reason why.

These aged blood cells are prone to create clots and direct us towards heart diseases like heart-attacks and other cardio-vascular diseases. It also reduces the oxygen carrying capacity in the blood. The best solution is to generate new blood cells in the human system and the best way to do this is by donating blood on a frequent basis. Studies are carried out to find out if Jet lag may affect our physiological processes as well.

Gift of Living

Ever wanted to save somebody’s life or at least be a part of the whole generous cause? Something that each one of us can do and are capable of doing would be to give what we have in abundance, and that is nothing else than BLOOD. The Gift of Blood is called the Gift of Life.

Since blood is not something that we see on a daily basis, one may not think or bother to understand what blood is actually about unless in case of an injury or God forbid, an accident. Now we know that our heart pumps the blood required for our body. Blood provides oxygen and nutrients to every cell of our body.




There is no substitute for human blood and for this very reason there are certain concerns regarding blood:

• It is estimated that every 2 seconds someone needs blood. 
• The blood type most often requested by hospitals is Type O. 
• Sickle cell patients can require frequent blood transfusions throughout their lives. 
• More than 1 million new people are diagnosed with cancer each year. Many of them will need blood, sometimes daily, during their chemotherapy treatment. 
• A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 units of blood 
• A single pint of blood can save up to 3 lives. 

And these concerns can and would go on with the changing scenario. There is an existing need for Blood at various hospitals and blood banks. One does not lose blood or become incapable of producing or our heart does not stop pumping blood just because you donate some of it.The different blood groups existing are A, B, AB and O.

Donating Blood is a noble cause. Doing so, we are helping other people in a not so harmful way and saving lives as well. As many as 3-4 lives can be saved when you donate your blood a single time. Imagine the no of lives that could be saved by the no of donations you can make. Blood is valuable and is always in need. You also get other benefits like a free health check-up; reduce the risk of heart diseases, burns calories, etc; One can donate blood for themselves as well in case one is in an accident or surgery and requires blood at some later stage. This is usually done when the blood group is rare and the procedure to do this is the same. If you are healthy and fit, don’t think twice, because it’s about your health and others lives. Take a chance.

An Accurate Blood Report or Food Report?

Life as we know exists due to one major aspect that is very much vital for each and every one of us. Blood is one of those substances that connect each and every organ of our body. This is the reason why anything at all in the blood will affect our whole body and disrupt our entire living mechanism.

Keeping this fact in mind; it is necessary that we all have our blood tested once in a while. Our changing lifestyle and daily food habits have knowingly or un-knowingly opened doors for a lot of unwanted substances into our precious blood. And there exists many types of danger that one cannot be completely aware about in their whole life-time.

Now since you have decided to get your blood tested, let us understand how one must prepare themselves for a Blood Test. For starters, there exist many kinds of blood tests. This would depend on the reason why one does a blood test. For e.g. After you read this article, a sudden realization that you are not aware about the details of your blood, so you go in for a General Blood Test. Such General Blood Tests usually requires a person to Fast for a certain period prior to the test.

Now you may wonder why? Or how is that going to make a difference?

As mentioned in the earlier paragraph, our food habits have huge contribution to the blood. Every solid or liquid that we consume goes partly to our blood, now that can include the very juice, soft drink, milk, etc. you just had. The measurement of blood sugar (glucose) and some blood lipids (fats and cholesterol) are common examples.

Let’s imagine a situation wherein you just had some form of meat for the first time ever in your life, that is rich in fat and that contributes to the cholesterol level in your body. You immediately go for a blood test and what’s the result?...your blood report will show that you maybe dieing of cholesterol and may have to be admitted and treated immediately or Doctors may state that you are prone to heart diseases, when in reality it was the meat that you just had over the delicious lunch at you friends place.

 Surprised?? Well, there have been many cases where some doctors and various Laboratories do not give much importance to emphasizing the necessity of fasting before a blood test only because they would presume that you might be aware about the same.

Generally food requires a minimum amount of time to get settled and dissolved into our body and blood and show a case or normalcy in our entire system. The constituents of the food or drink you last consumed would stay strongest and reveal unnecessarily.

A blood test is done to understand how your blood is doing on a normal day and for that your entire system needs to settle down at a normal state which is why you need to Fast or in simple terms not eat or drink anything (apart water in some cases), till your blood is withdrawn, for a particular period that should and would be mentioned by your doctor.

• When you fast, you refrain from eating or drinking anything (except water) for a good period of 8-10 hours generally and otherwise specified by your doctor.

• You are allowed to take your medications unless interrupted by your doctor.

• Nothing else is permissible during this period (no coffee, no smoking, and no alcohol, not even chewing gums because even the slightest juices can bring about variations in the blood).

• Try and rest before you blood test.

• Once your blood is withdrawn you can immediately consume some juices and have some snack as per your preference.

• It is advisable to schedule your blood test for early morning, so that the hours your go without food can be used up by your Good Night Sleep.

• Always remember, Fasting is usually considered for an accurate blood report and for further treatments. If in doubt, feel free to ask your doctor regarding anything.