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By Mayo Clinic staffIf your blood sample is being used only for an ANA test, you can eat and drink normally before the test. If your blood sample will be used for additional tests, you may need to fast for a certain amount of time before the test. Your doctor will give you specific instructions.
Certain drugs affect the accuracy of the test, so bring your doctor a list of all the medications you take.
- The antinuclear antibody test: What it means. Lupus Foundation. http://www.lupus.org/webmodules/webarticlesnet/templates/new_empty.aspx?articleid=402&zoneid=76. Accessed Aug. 2, 2009.
- Kavanaugh R, et al. Guidelines for clinical use of the antinuclear antibody test and tests for specific autoantibodies to nuclear antigens. Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine. http://www.cap.org/apps/docs/committees/immunology/arpa_124_10_71.pdf. Accessed Aug. 2, 2009.
- Antinuclear antibody (ANA) test. In: Fischbach F. Manual of Laboratory & Diagnostic Tests. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2004. http://ovidsp.tx.ovid.com/spa/ovidweb.cgi. Accessed Aug. 2, 2009.
- Laboratory reference values. Normal values. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. 2004. Accessed Aug. 3, 2009.
