Home Cholesterol Tests - Are They Safe?

Home cholesterol tests are convenient and cost effective. They allow you to check your cholesterol levels without having to visit your local laboratory or your doctor's surgery. Tests bought over the counter are safe to use if you know what to look out for.

In this article, I discuss what safety of home cholesterol tests means and what to look out for when you choose a cholesterol testing kit.

Why Test Your Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a fatty substance in our blood that is indispensible for many of our body's functions. However, if levels are too high, cholesterol becomes dangerous.

Testing cholesterol is a necessary preventative measure to safeguard your health and your life because there are no symptoms of abnormal cholesterol levels until it is too late.

Benefits of Home Cholesterol Tests

Home cholesterol tests have two major, immediate benefits. You save not only time but also money. And you don't have to organise your fasting schedule around your doctor's or pharmacist's timetable, which adds convenience as another major advantage.

These tests can help you keep an eye on your levels of total, HDL and LDL cholesterol and of triglycerides. More specifically, you want to ensure that your LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels are not too high while your HDL levels should not drop too low.

Safety of Home Cholesterol Tests

The first level of safety ensures that the home testing kit you buy actually gives you reliable results.

There are two groups of home testing kits. The first group requires you to send the blood sample off to a test laboratory. For this group, the laboratory assumes the responsibility to guarantee the accuracy of the results.

The second group of home testing kits come with a digital analyzer that you operate yourself. To guarantee the accuracy of this group, you need to select a device that conforms to the relevant standards.

Make sure the home test kit is FDA approved, certified by the Cholesterol Reference Method Laboratory Network (CRMLN) and CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) waived. This means that the home test kits are safe to use and provide a very high level of accuracy. Home cholesterol test kits sold in Europe should be CE marked to show that they conform to the standards of the European Community. Some devices that are sold worldwide satisfy all these requirements.

While the first safety level is the responsibility of the laboratory or the device manufacturer, the next safety level is your own responsibility.

For accurate results, read and follow the test kit manufacturer's instructions, especially regarding storage and use of test strips and how to draw a blood sample. Pay particular attention to instructions about hygiene and proper disposal of the lancets after use.

For more information about home cholesterol tests, cholesterol levels and cholesterol testing kits, go to mylowcholesteroldietplan.com/home-cholesterol-tests mylowcholesteroldietplan.com/home-cholesterol-tests/. You will also find guidance on how you can reduce cholesterol naturally by following a mylowcholesteroldietplan.com low cholesterol diet plan.