Do you need an empty stomach to check rheumatoid factor?

Rheumatoid factor is an immunoglobulin, and its level is usually not directly affected by eating. Testing after eating can generally accurately reflect the condition of rheumatoid factor in the body.

Currently, the commonly used methods for detecting rheumatoid factor are relatively stable, and there is no significant difference between fasting and fasting. The test is mainly determined by the reaction of specific reagents with rheumatoid factor in blood samples, and food usually does not interfere with this reaction process.

In clinical practice, doctors may pay more attention to the overall situation and symptoms of patients rather than simply emphasizing fasting. If other tests that may be affected by eating are required at the same time, fasting may be recommended for convenience and accuracy of the test. However, if rheumatoid factor is tested alone, patients may not need to deliberately fast.