Home Cholesterol Tests Kits
First things first; why use a home cholesterol test kit anyway? For some people, they simply want to find out what their cholesterol level is so as to know whether or not they need to do anything about it or seek further medical advice. For others, they might already be aware that they have raised cholesterol levels and thus wish to monitor their condition without the effort and delay involved in booking an appointment to see a doctor. Then there are those who simply like to monitor their health on a regular basis and obtaining frequent cholesterol tests through their doctor would be frankly impractical as well as unnecessarily expensive.
How Cholesterol Testing Kits Work
So what’s available? Well, all home cholesterol test kits work by analyzing a blood sample, but beyond the initial business of extracting some blood (usually by pricking your finger – an Auto-Lancet which is a push-button pen device can help if you find this difficult) the main difference is how much analysis you get. Simple test kits provide an overall cholesterol level, which while useful and commonly used as a shorthand summary as to whether action might be required, doesn’t tell the whole story.
More sophisticated kits provide figures for not only total cholesterol but also LDL (Low Density Lipids, or “bad” cholesterol), HDL (High Density Lipids, or “good” cholesterol) and triglycerides and possibly glucose levels. The way that these typically work is by supplying separate types of test strips; you thus require a separate blood sample for each strip. Note that LDL is often inferred using the following calculation: LDL = total cholesterol – HDL – triglycerides/5.
Be aware that the actual test strips are sold separately and you may not be supplied with a full set of different test types. Also, you will eventually use up all the originally supplied strips and will have to purchase more so be sure you can obtain these at a reasonable price.
The testing process itself very often uses “reflective photometry” to analyze the light transparency (discernible as a change in color intensity) of the blood sample which means it can be sensitive to interference from strong light sources and changes in room temperature.
Interpreting Cholesterol Test Results
This is all very interesting, but the fact is that unless you also understand how to interpret for example the LDL/HDL ratio or account for your own personal factors such as age, gender, size, medical history, lifestyle and so on then these numbers won’t mean very much to you. Also, if you’re already being treated with statins then the blood test that your doctor performs may examine other indicators such as your serum creatine kinase level in order to check for possibly side effects (statins in high doses can in rare cases cause muscle and liver damage which can be detected in this way).
In short, the test itself and the range of values available are an important component, but the crucial part is the ability to understand and evaluate this data in order to determine for example the risk of heart disease. But assuming that you’re comfortable with interpreting your results well enough to monitor your condition, the next best thing to do is calibrate your home test kit with the results obtained by medical professionals. In other words, shortly before or after you go for a full blood test use your home kit and compare the two results in order to gauge the margin of difference (if any). Most modern kits are pretty accurate but you do want to be certain that when you home kit assures you that your cholesterol levels are fine that you are not being misled.
Common Problems Using Home Cholesterol Tests
Where a home test kit can all go wrong is in the upfront part of obtaining a blood sample. You need a clean, fresh sample which is not always easy to arrange. Obviously an absolutely key start point is ensuring that you have clean hands so as not to contaminate the sample. This can also be advantageous because dipping your hands in warm water will ensure that it is easier to extract blood. Blood retreats from your extremities when they are cold making extraction that much harder and more painful.
If you’re not familiar with deliberately making your finger bleed or you take too long or squeeze too hard to get the blood out then you can again inadvertently affect the result. As noted above an auto lancet can save a lot of time (and discomfort). You also don’t need to use a finger – some people prefer a toe as they find these on the whole less sensitive.
The other commonest cause of inaccurate results is failure to read the instructions carefully, in particular not noticing that you must not eat or drink anything other than plain water for about 12 hours prior to conducting the test.
Cholesterol production is triggered by ingesting food of any description – so even sipping a drink that contains sugar (as do all alcoholic drinks for instance) or milk will be enough to raise your cholesterol levels and give a false reading. You should also not perform a test if you are pregnant or have been subject to extreme physical stress such as a major accident or after an operation.
Other “user errors” are not placing enough blood onto the test strip collection well, or taking too long about it, so it is no longer a fresh sample when the test is performed (both usually connected with difficulties extracting blood in the first place – see above). Also some test kits are particularly sensitive to light and should be kept away from direct light sources while they perform the test process otherwise the results will not be accurate.
Your cholesterol, like your blood pressure (something else you can monitor at home if you want), varies normally throughout the day and over time depending on what you’ve eaten and what activities you engage in. Monitoring it frequently really is unnecessary and counterproductive. Depending on your pre-existing condition you should only need to test between a handful of times a year at most and once every 5 years. The most important element in using a home cholesterol test kit effectively is not the frequency of use but acting upon the information appropriately.
What To Do With A Troubling Result
Regardless of the type of kit you use, if the data suggests there is potentially an issue with your cholesterol then it is time to book an appointment with your doctor (who will promptly run another test just to be sure). These kits are intended to act as a heads up to a possible problem, not to replace qualified medical guidance. In many cases the initial way to lower cholesterol is simply to change your diet and take more exercise, but in other cases it will mean prescribing drugs, invariably one of the various types of statin in some particular dosage to suit your own particular situation.
In summary, home cholesterol test kits can be quite accurate and an effective means of monitoring your own levels if you study and follow the directions carefully, understand what it is you’re actually monitoring and how to diagnose good cholesterol levels, and respond to any troubling results by following up with a medical professional.