What is Cholesterol Home Test?
Just like blood sugar, blood cholesterol levels can also be checked at home by using cholesterol home test kits. They offer a convenient and reliable way to monitor your blood cholesterol without having to make frequent visits to a lab.
Not only cholesterol home tests are effective and trustworthy, they are also quick. The results can be achieved within minutes unlike lab tests which may take several days.
Who Should Take a Cholesterol Home Test?
Considering the sedentary life styles, poor eating habits and obesity, especially prevalent in developed countries; it is recommended for everyone to get their cholesterol levels tested from time to time (1). However, some people are at a greater risk of developing high cholesterol levels or cholesterol deficiency including:
- Obese Individuals: Obese people should regularly monitor their cholesterol levels as they have greater chances of developing high amounts of circulating LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol).
- Smokers: Smoking lowers HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) level and elevates the risk of atherosclerosis.
- Men: Men are more likely to have higher cholesterol levels compared to the women of the same age making them more susceptible to heart diseases.
- Diabetic Patients: High blood sugar elevates LDL cholesterol, lowers HDL cholesterol and damages the walls of arteries; collectively increasing the risk of coronary artery diseases, hypertension and stroke.
- Having Poor Eating Habits: People who eat red meat, enjoy animal products and baked goods tend to have higher blood cholesterol.
- Family History: People with a family history of high cholesterol or heart diseases should test their cholesterol more frequently. Likewise, familial hypocholesterolemia can run in families causing cholesterol deficiency.
- On Cholesterol Medications: People taking statins to lower blood cholesterol should regularly monitor their cholesterol levels to avoid any deleterious effects of the medicine.
What Can a Cholesterol Home Test Tell Me?
Like lab tests, cholesterol home tests can detect and measure four types of lipids:
- Total Cholesterol: The total amount of cholesterol in blood is measured.
- LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) Cholesterol: Also known as bad cholesterol, too much of it in the blood increases the chance of atherosclerosis, heart attack and stroke.
- HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) Cholesterol: Also referred to as good cholesterol, it is involved in the removal of LDL cholesterol from the blood hence it lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.
- Triacylgylcerols: Extra calories acquired from the food not needed by the body are converted into triacylgycerols and stored in the body in the form of fat. Obesity, diabetes and alcoholism tend to raise blood triacylglycerols causing different types of hypercholesterolemias.
Cholesterol levels are measured as milligrams of cholesterol per deciliter (mg/dl) of blood. The ideal test results should be within the reference range given by your lab. Generally:
- Total Cholesterol: The lower the level, the better it is.
- LDL: The lower the level, the better it is.
- HDL: The higher the level, the better it is.
- Triacylglycerols: The lower the level, the better it is.
If your blood cholesterol level is outside the normal range, you need to consult a doctor. High cholesterol may mean you are at a higher risk of heart diseases, atherosclerosis and stroke (2). You may need to get yourself tested for diabetes as well as thyroid function.
How Accurate Are Cholesterol Home Tests?
The reliability and results of various cholesterol home tests can fluctuate. However, generally, they are highly dependable. Most cholesterol home test kits are as much as 95-97% accurate.
These home tests can provide a quick and reliable alternative to frequent lab tests allowing you to make changes in your life style and adjust your cholesterol levels accordingly (3); thus, saving yourself from cardiovascular diseases, stroke, hypertension and multiple other health conditions.
Cholesterol Home Test Kits:
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- Order is placed online and the test kit is mailed to your given address.
- A local clinic can help you withdraw blood or someone at home who is adequately trained.
- You ship the test back to the lab and results are e-mailed to you.
Pros:
- Reliable
- Easy to perform
- Results are confidential
- You can get your results interpreted by a doctor over the phone. Book the doctor online from www.truehealthlabs.com
Cons:
- Pricey
- Some tests cannot be collected in New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Maryland.
- Price: Regular $283
- Tests/Kit: 1 cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triacylglycerol and HDL ratio testing kit
- Accuracy: Highly Accurate
- Home/mail results: Results are available online
- Sample type: Blood
- Time to Results: 2 business days
- Unisex or fe/male: Unisex
- Results - Doctor consulting needed: Recommended
- Order available to following region/countries: Available in USA only with the exception of New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Maryland.
- Order test online, have it delivered to your doorstep.
- Complete simple blood spot sample collection.
- Mail your sample back to their certified lab.
- Receive your results on a secure online platform within a few days.
Pros:
- Easy sample collection.
- Reasonably priced.
- Physician reviewed.
- Certified Labs.
Cons:
- You need to mail your sample back to the lab.
- Only available in 46 US States.
- Not available in New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Rhode Island.
- Price: $49
- Tests/kit: 1 combined Cholesterol and Lipids Test
- Accuracy: Highly accurate
- Home/mail results: Results can be viewed online as well as picked from the lab.
- Sample type: Blood
- Time to results: 5 business days
- Unisex or fe/male: Unisex
- Results - Doctor consulting needed: Recommended
- Order available to following region/countries: Available USA wide except New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Rhode Island.
- After making the purchase online, test kit is mailed to you.
- Collect your blood sample by a finger prick or getting it withdrawn from a clinic and mail the kit back to the lab.
- View your results on your personal dashboard.
Pros:
- Easy sample collection.
- Reasonably priced.
- The choice of clinic based venous blood sample collection also available.
Cons:
- Not available outside UK.
- Price: £39
- Tests/kit: 6 tests included to test for all types of lipids
- Accuracy: Highly accurate
- Home/mail results: Results can be viewed on your secure account. PDF copy can also be downloaded.
- Sample type: Blood
- Time to results: 1 business day
- Unisex or fe/male: Unisex
- Results - Doctor consulting needed: Recommended
- Order available to following region/countries: Available UK wide except Scottish Islands.
To sum up – why it is good to do a cholesterol home test
Cholesterol home tests kits is a good option for you who wish to start monitor or check your blood fat health. When you know what your blood fat values are, you can start to work with things such as either medication or food and exercise to improve them. It might be that there is something else that is heavy on your health and to test your blood fats and exclude high blood fats as a factor is another reason these tests are so good to take. Other positive factors with taking a home test is that you will do the test in the convenience of your home, get the results faster back home, and do it at a lower cost than at the doctors. Finally, to check your health and know it can improve your life quality a lot to the better. We hope these tests and information provided here can help you along that way.
