How To Check Your Cholesterol At Home
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This means the test meets the program’s standards for accuracy. Additional risk factors, such as smoking and being overweight, also play a role in a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease. Read on for measuring triglyceride and cholesterol levels. The test kits contain the tools and instructions an individual needs to collect their blood sample. According to the American Heart Association, adults over the age of 20 should check their cholesterol about every 4–6 years if they have low-risk factors.
If youre taking medications that could increase your cholesterol levels, such as birth control pills, your doctor may ask you to stop taking them a few days before your test. Home cholesterol tests, in contrast, don't offer any real advantages. They don't provide accurate information about your cardiovascular risk. Nor do they tell you much about the impact of diet or exercise on your cholesterol. The results won't give you the information you need to figure out your risk of having a heart attack or other cardiovascular problem. Nor will they help you check whether a diet and exercise program is working.
How do home kits measure cholesterol?
Triglycerides are another important fat-carrying particle. It provides a large digital readout of your results within 45 seconds of testing. If you prefer a language other than English, you can program the meter to display your results in another language, such as Spanish, German, French, Chinese, and Russian. This battery-operated, handheld meter was designed for use in medical offices.
It is vital for people to follow all directions provided with the test kit to get the most accurate results. This article examines why people should measure cholesterol, the home testing process, accuracy, and what the results may mean. A reliable and easy-to-follow home test to check overall cholesterol health.
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Please note other stores use an accredited medical laboratory for sample analysis. Tests in these stores are available anytime Monday to Thursday and before 9.30am on Friday mornings. Your sample will be analysed by a CQC-registered and UKAS accredited lab.
Take a follow-up test at your doctor’s office if they advise it. The in-office test may involve a finger prick like your at-home test, but it’s more likely that a blood sample will be collected from your arm with a needle. The lab will test this sample in more detail than your at-home test and give your doctor a more accurate and expansive view of your blood cholesterol levels. If you want access to important details about your blood cholesterol and other important components of cardiovascular health all in one test, this mail-in kit is your best bet. A single blood sample returns a cholesterol analysis, including HDL, LDL, and triglycerides.
A: Yes, you can now check your cholesterol at home!
Over time, plaque can become hard and make your arteries narrow. Large deposits of plaque can completely block an artery. Cholesterol plaques can also break apart, leading to formation of a blood clot that blocks the flow of blood. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician. At-home cholesterol tests are not a substitute for medical care. You may need a cholesterol-lowering medication, such as a statin.
Since most color-coded strip test kits only test for total cholesterol, your only point of comparison will probably be the recommended total cholesterol range. For the average healthy adult, the ideal range is between 125 to 200 mg/dl. However, your ideal range may be different, based on your particular circumstances. If your results are between 5.0mmol/l and 7.5mmol/l you may like to speak to your pharmacist about maintaining healthy cholesterol levels and discuss the options available. It is important to remember that most home cholesterol testing kits using a solid statement monitor will only give your total cholesterol and not the full breakdown of your results.
Without putting down the test strip, use a clean tissue to stop any additional bleeding while you continue the test. Wash your hands and open an alcohol swab, test strip, and lancet packet. Use soap and water to wash your hands and a clean towel to dry them. Open one of the sealed, sterile packages in your kit that contains a test strip, as well as one packet containing an alcohol swab. Nearly all kits use lancets that are pre-loaded into individual “lancet pens.” Pop the cap off of the pen, if necessary, as directed by the kit’s instructions. While often called “single-use” strip kits, don’t be confused—many kits contain multiple testing strips, but each strip can only be used once.
These tests have information about the test's accuracy printed on the product label. People with cardiovascular disease, and those at elevated risk, may need their cholesterol and other risk factors assessed more often. If you dont use a kit with an electronic meter, you may have trouble reading the color on the test strip.
One, whose LDL is 155 (that's high) and HDL is 25 (that's low), has an elevated risk for heart disease. Another, whose LDL is 105 and HDL is 75, has a much healthier profile. There are a wide variety of home cholesterol test kits and home sampling kits online, and of varying quality. The home cholesterol test kits measure your cholesterol using a solid-state monitor with colour changes that you view on a chart.
Having high cholesterol can increase your risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and stroke. Other health conditions and risk factors, such as family history, may further increase your risk of developing one or more of these conditions. Instead of being afraid, take charge and work with your doctor to devise the best strategy to protect your health and reduce your risk.
Statins work by blocking the production of cholesterol in the liver. If you’re using a metered test, you’ll place a droplet of blood directly on one or more test strips. The test strip is inserted into a meter that contains a computer chip.
In general, you're better off not checking your cholesterol at home. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. Dietary changes to make include eating less saturated fat and trans fats, including processed foods and red meat. You can replace those with foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon. Your test results will be sent to your device within several days. You’ll also get a comprehensive, personalized report that explains what each number means.
Those with heart disease, diabetes, or a family history of high cholesterol should see their doctor more frequently. For people at a higher risk of developing heart disease, or those who already have heart disease, a doctor may recommend checking cholesterol levels more often. HDL cholesterolis the “good” type of cholesterol that helps clear LDL cholesterol out of your arteries — so a higher level is better for you. Having a low HDL cholesterol level can increase your risk for heart disease. Your doctor will check your cholesterol levels with a blood test called a lipid profile. A nurse will take a small sample of blood from your finger or arm for this test.
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