Home Cholesterol Kit: Who Should Use One and Why Is It Important?

Are you worried about your heart health and you don't mind having yourself pricked with a needle? Then, a home cholesterol testing kit might be useful for you. 

Cardiologist, Dr. Jay Pandit from the Illinois-based Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital said, such a kit offers a convenient way to gauge one's cholesterol levels at the comfort of his home. This does not mean though, the doctor elaborated, that it is a replacement for a doctor. 

Medical research describes cholesterol as a "fat or lipid in the bloodstream." Meanwhile, high-density lipoprotein, also called good cholesterol or HDL protects the heart.  

Low-density lipoprotein, on the other hand, also known as bad cholesterol or LDL can clog the arteries of the heart and "contribute to cardiovascular disease." If you have a home cholesterol kit, you can gauge your levels of these cholesterol types.

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Not a Replacement for Test by Your Health Care Provider

There are kits featuring the ability to gauge triglyceride levels. Triglyceride is another fat type in the bloodstream. 

If you have high triglyceride levels, it may contribute to the arteries' hardening, or the arteries' walls' thickening also called "arteriosclerosis." This condition can increase the danger of heart attack, stroke, and CVD.

According to Pandit, it is a good idea to be conscious of your which includes cholesterol, "Given the toll that CVD exacts."

The Centers for Disease and Control Prevention said heart ailment is the leading cause of death for both men and women. Also, according to the CDC, more than 640,000 people in the United States are dying because of a heart ailment. 

Pandit said people who have been diagnosed with such a condition need to let their doctor manage their cholesterol. 

This means that home cholesterol kits should not be considered as a replacement for testing through the health care provider.

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Who Should Own a Home Cholesterol Kit?

If you are someone who aims to be more active in managing your lipid, then, a home cholesterol testing kit is a perfect must-have for you.

Indeed, this home testing kit is helpful for those who have not yet been diagnosed with any heart condition but are at high risk of blood pressure.

The kit is also helpful for them if they have a "family history of premature cardiovascular disease," or, are active smokers.

Widely Available

Now you know that you can own a home cholesterol kit, not to replace your physician, but to monitor your cholesterol and triglyceride levels, here's the good news for you.

Home cholesterol kits are widely and readily available both in pharmacies and in online stores. However, it's important to know that most tests need clearance by the Food and Drug Administration before they get to the market. 

Kits vary in price as well, according to the equipment each kit contains. For instance, a home cholesterol kit that measures not just the HDL and LDL, but the triglyceride levels too, may cost roughly $39 online.

With this set, you can already collect a small amount of blood sample and send it to a laboratory through the use of a "prepaid label."

The test results, which are typically assessed by a board-certified, independent physician, become available online after a few days from the lab's receipt of the sample.

IN CASE YOU MISSED THIS: 5 Simple Ways to Use an At-Home Blood Test Kit

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