Why Take A Home Cholesterol Test?

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Some doctors approve a home cholesterol test in between office visits to help reduce medical costs for under insured or non insured patients.

You should always consult with your medical practitioner before self testing but getting some idea of your cholesterol is better than being completely uninformed.

Knowing your cholesterol level has never been more important for most people than it is right now. Our increasingly sedentary lifestyles and poor dietary choices have created an abundance of overweight and obese people.

For years, doctors recommended that every adult 20 or older have their cholesterol checked at least once every five years. Anyone on a cholesterol lowering diet or drugs are often tested several times a year. People whose family tree includes a history of high cholesterol need to know whether they inherited the traits of their ancestors.

A lipid profile is often the first experience you’ll have in testing your LDL (bad home cholesterol), HDL (good home cholesterol) and triglycerides.

It is in your best interest to know if you are at risk for heart disease, stroke or hardening of the arteries an a home cholesterol test will help you gain the knowledge you need.

Prevention is always the best medicine and this type of test helps you understand more about your overall health.

Interpreting Your Home Cholesterol Test Results

Many professionals differ on the exact numbers which are considered normal but a level below 200 mg/dl is considered an acceptable level that suggests the risk of heart disease is quite low.

A level between 200 and 240 mg/dl indicates you have a moderate risk of heart disease and your doctor may order a lipid profile to determine if your cholesterol level is due to the LDL (bad cholesterol) or the HDL (good cholesterol).

A level over 240 mg/dl puts you at high risk of acquiring heart disease.

You are taking control of your health a future by using a home cholesterol test kit and working with your medical professional to determine the best course of treatment for you IF one is necessary.

Do your testing when you are reasonably sure you are healthy. An acute illness, a recent heart attack, stress from surgery or serious stress due to an accident may alter the results. A pregnancy may also increase a woman’s cholesterol level.

High cholesterol at any age is dangerous and everyone needs to be aware of the problems that can arise from elevated levels and the best offense against the potential poor health is to use a home cholesterol test to reduce or eliminate the problem.

2007-2008 Copyright by the Natural Remedies Products Staff a.k.a. NRP - Why Take A Home Cholesterol Test?