Can You Check Your Cholesterol At Home

Table of Content

• Sibling rivalry is normal — but is it helpful or harmful?
• HDL
• What Are The Different Types Of At
• How To Check Cholesterol At Home
• In general, you're better off not checking your cholesterol at home. Let a lab give you the detailed information you need.
• Types Of Home Cholesterol Test Kits

You will probably have your blood drawn in the morning, sometimes after fasting since the night before. CardioChek’s cholesterol kit is suitable for people who smoke and those with diabetes, low HDL cholesterol levels, and high blood pressure. Some people, such as people who have heart disease, diabetes, or a family history of high cholesterol, need to get their cholesterol checked more often.

Theres good cholesterol, known as high-density lipoprotein . And theres bad cholesterol known as low-density lipoprotein . LDL builds up on the walls of your arteries, blocking healthy blood flow and raising your stroke and heart attack risk.

Sibling rivalry is normal — but is it helpful or harmful?

Total cholesterol – Total cholesterol is the total measure of HDL and LDL cholesterol present in the body. Thank you for taking the time to confirm your preferences. If you need to go back and make any changes, you can always do so by going to our Privacy Policy page. Children who have obesity or diabetes may need to be screened for high cholesterol more often.

Thatâs because triglycerides can contribute to plaque formation in arteries, which can lead to a narrowing of the arteries. Your heart then has to work harder to pump blood to your organs and other body parts. Taking a lipid panel, which often includes triglycerides can tell you if your triglyceride levels are elevated. High cholesterol is often treatable and manageable with medications and lifestyle changes.

HDL

However, having an LDL cholesterol between 130 to 150 mg/dL is also considered unhealthy. High cholesterol is when you have a total cholesterol of 240 mg/dL or higher. Read our guide all about DNA kits you can gift to your friends and family.

Assessing a color-coded test strip too early or too late could give you an incorrect result. You’ll feel a bit of pain when the lancet pricks your finger, but it will only last for a few seconds. This might include things like changing your diet or taking medicine.

What Are The Different Types Of At

Thats why its important to have your doctor check your cholesterol levels with a simple blood test. The general recommendation is to get your cholesterol checked every 4 to 6 years. Some people may need to get their cholesterol checked more or less often depending on their risk of heart disease.

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. Even when the reading is accurate, it may not be very useful.

At-home cortisol tests are a convenient and efficient way to monitor your stress and adjust accordingly. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. Strive for at least 20 to 30 minutes a day of brisk walking or other aerobic activities you enjoy.

You prick your finger, gently squeeze a few drops of blood onto a test strip or into a small "well," and you get the results in a few minutes, instead of waiting a few days. People that have cholesterol levels outside the desired ranges should consider talking to their healthcare professional. Different cholesterol values determine what type of treatment plan is most appropriate.

Screening Tests for Men

That color will correspond to a cholesterol range listed clearly on the chart. This is put into a machine that checks your cholesterol in a few minutes. Mail-in tests — requires you to send your blood sample to a lab for assessment. They can affect your HDL, LDL, and total cholesterol levels. Some drug stores, such as CVS and Walgreens, now offer cholesterol tests that you can purchase for use at home. Common home testing brands include HomeAccess and FirstCheck.

Health professionals generally recommend having these devices adjusted at least once a year to make sure they’re still accurate. While some labs will mail you your results, the best testing kits provide digital results in a much quicker timeframe. All you need to do is register your at-home cholesterol test kit with the testing company and send your sample to the lab. What’s more, strip-only kits may pose difficulties when it comes to interpreting results. Learning how to understand cholesterol test results is very important and with strip-only tests, it can be a challenge. While color-change mechanisms can give accurate readings, it can be difficult to interpret the results if the color on the test strip is dull or inconclusive.

In general, you're better off not checking your cholesterol at home. Let a lab give you the detailed information you need.

If additional blood tests are needed, all the samples are usually taken at once. You can purchase a cholesterol home test kit at your local pharmacy or medical supply store. The standard cholesterol home test kit contains a lancet for drawing blood and test strips. Non-HDL cholesterol is a quick way of measuring the bad cholesterol in a person's body. The package also includes cholesterol strips, lancets, a manual, batteries, and an EziTube blood applicator.