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Many times a person who have been asked for cholesterol test are also asked to avoid eating or drinking anything. But this is not same in every case. It's completely depends on healthcare advice, if one should eat or drink before going for cholesterol test or not. 

A cholesterol test is  done to check the level of cholesterol in a person’s blood.

What can a person eat the night before?

• If a healthcare professional has asked a person to fast-  they should not consume anything other than water the night before a cholesterol test.
• If a healthcare professional has not asked a person to fast- they should be able to eat and drink normally.

Will eating or fasting affect the results?

Previously recommended by American Heart Association (AHA), healthcare professionals that people should fast for 9–12 hours before going for a cholesterol test. As per the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS), Cholesterol level can be measured in two ways 

One method is a finger prick test- In this method, blood taken by pricking a person’s finger and places a drop of blood on a strip of paper, which goes into a machine that checks the cholesterol levels within minutes.

Another method involves taking blood from the arm- In this, blood drawn from the arm and send the sample to a laboratory for the results. This method may require a person to fast.

It has been published in a paper ‘Journal of the American College of Cardiology’, which suggest that people of age 20 years or above and not taking any cholesterol lowering medicines, shows a little difference in the accuracy of cholesterol level , between fasting blood tests and non-fasting blood test. 

This paper also said, that fasting blood test is important, as non-fasting blood tests indicate a triglyceride level of 400 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) or higher. So it is advisable to discuss to doctors before going for cholesterol test if they need fasting or not otherwise, a person should be able to eat and drink normally before the test. The person should also inform the healthcare professional about medications, vitamins, herbal remedies, or supplements that they are taking, as that may affect their cholesterol levels.  

What does cholesterol measure?

A cholesterol blood test will measure 

• Total cholesterol: This is the sum of the cholesterol content in the blood. Levels under 200 mg/dl are optimal.
• Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol: Cholesterol that contributes to the made of fats within the arteries, leading to a higher risk of stroke, heart attack, and peripheral artery disease. Levels greater than or equal to 60 mg/dl are optimal.
• High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol: Healthy cholesterol which help to protect a person from experiencing a stroke or heart attack. It moves back the LDL to the liver, which break it down and help to remove it from the body. LDL cholesterol: Levels under 100 mg/dl are optimal.
• Triglycerides: These are the fats in the person’s blood,  store excess energy from a person’s diet and used up when required. Too much triglycerides contribute to the build up in a person’s arteries and increased the risk of heart disease.  Levels under 150 mg/dl are optimal.

If  the test results show that their levels are not within a range, they may need to make certain lifestyle changes, such as dietary and exercise-related changes, to improve these levels.

Foods that lower cholesterol-certain foods are available which can decrease the cholesterol levels over time. For example, 

• Fibers: soluble fiber can bind with cholesterol in the digestive system and remove it from the body. 
• Polyunsaturated fats: It  can help lower LDL levels.
• Barley, oats, Soy, okra, eggplant, lentils
• Nuts, such as almonds, peanuts, and walnuts
• Beans, such as kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and black-eyed peas
• Fruits, such as apples, citrus fruits, and strawberries

Foods to avoid: According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health,  diets containing too much trans-fat and saturated fat are the main causes of high blood cholesterol. These food includes

• Deep-fried foods, fatty meats
• Full fat dairy products, such as cream
• Animal fats, including butter, lard, and margarine

Summary

The CDC recommends that most adults get their cholesterol levels checked every 4–6 years especially people with heart disease or diabetes get their cholesterol levels checked more frequent. If the cholesterol level does not fall within a range, one should strict with their diet by changing some eating lifestyle habits.