Cholesterol is a fat-like natural substance in the body cells of every human body. The body needs a certain level of cholesterol to make hormones.
Cholesterol can be found in fatty and processed foods, mainly animal products like meat, cheese, egg yolks, and others.
What Causes Cholesterol?
Cholesterol levels can be affected by poor diets like eating excess animal products with trans fats, saturated fat, baked cookies, microwave popcorn, and baked products.
For a balanced level of cholesterol, it is best to avoid eating foods high in cholesterol, especially dairy products and red meat.
Cholesterol Levels
Truth be told, cholesterol can be classified as either good and bad.
Some cholesterol types are important for maintaining good health. These are lipoproteins that carry cholesterol throughout the body.
Low-density lipoprotein also referred to as bad cholesterol. High levels of LDL cholesterol are risky and can cause heart attack and stroke.
How to Test Cholesterol Level At Home
Before trying out a home-based cholesterol testing kit, make sure you consult your healthcare provider and read the instructions carefully.
You need a blood sample and before the blood is drawn from your finger. Fasting from food and drinks is advised for at least 12 hours before the test.
A blood test also called a lipid panel is used to measure the level of your cholesterol.
Depending on the test kit you are using, you can assess LDL cholesterol or the bad cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglycerides.
High cholesterol causes no major symptoms and it is important to get your levels of cholesterol tested regularly.
The following are the best-recommended home test cholesterol kits to keep yourself aware of your different cholesterol levels.
5 Most-Recommended Home Cholesterol Test Kit
1. CardioChek Cholesterol Test Strips
This analyzing kit has a CardioChek home test analyzer, three count total cholesterol strips, three lancets, three capillaries, one memo chip.
You can only use it once and the test strips have expiry dates. Currently out stock in Amazon and date of restocking is unknown.
It’s easy to use as all you need is to put your blood droplets on the strip, then put the test strip in the electronic meter, and check your results in 90 seconds. The refill strips are sold at a reasonable price and cheaper than visiting a lab.
The rating of this particular test kit is quite high, and is quite effective.
It’s also available on Amazon at a discounted price!
2. Blood Cholesterol Test Kit – Curo L5
It is user friendly with a unique design. The strips draw the blood sample effectively and fast into the inlet through the capillary giving the right sample size to get very accurate results.
Your total cholesterol, triglycerides, and HDL are well measured. The kit has 10 strips for cholesterol testing and the others are purchased separately. You get your results in two minutes.
It also works with Curo blood sugar testing strips in case you need to check your sugar level in the blood. The warranty is lifetime so you are quite safe investing your hard-earned cash on it and
3. Cholesterol Test Kit – LipidoCare
It’s comprehensively used at home. It has an electronic monitor that offers the best results of all levels of cholesterol options.
With a single sample of blood, you get LDL, HDL, LDL/HDL, non-HDL, total cholesterol, and triglycerides. The test strips used can report your whole blood lipid panel instead of using different test strips for each cholesterol type.
This particular cholesterol testing kit is compact and sleek for frequent travelers. It comes with one meter, 10 testing strips, capillary rods, lancets, and the warranty is one year.
You can make your order from Amazon at a discounted price!
4. Cholesterol Home Test – First Check
This is one of the best home test kits that is manually operated and suitable for those tight on budget. You can get three different tests from a single sample of blood that is LDL, HDL, and total cholesterol. You spend only five minutes to get accurate results legible on the coded insert.
The main feature of this home test kit is that you don’t need to fast before using it. It has two lancets, two bandages, one package insert, two capillary rods, cholesterol tester, two gauze pads, and an HDL cholesterol tester. The cost is friendly and it’s available on Amazon.
5. Cholesterol and Lipids Test – Everylywell
This type is integrated online meaning it’s a mail-in option test. You can do the test and later download it and share it with your doctor, friends, and or family members.
The test kit measures direct LDL, total cholesterol, HDL, and triglycerides and the blood is pricked from your single finger and placed on the strip.
The kit has lancets, alcohol prep pads, a card for blood collection, a gauze pad, a bandage, a return bag for the blood sample, and a shipping prepaid label. The test kit is available on Amazon.
Main Features to Check on Home Cholesterol Test Kit
1. Cost
Different types are available at varying prices depending on individuals’ needs. However, all three types are quite fast and efficient in their results and the instructions are easy to follow.
2. Warranty
Most of the test kits have a one year warranty from the date of purchase.
3. Strips Refills
Most of the kits strips are used only once meaning you have to purchase new ones which are quite cheaper than visiting the lab.
4. Approval from the FDA
The Food and Drug Administration has not approved many of the test kits.
While purchasing a home test cholesterol kit, always buy “FDA Approved” to make sure you are on the right track with your health results.
5. Type of Test
Home test cholesterol kits offer three different types of tests.
- The first one uses an electronic monitor that resembles a glucometer to check your blood.
- The second test type is a test on the strips that are read visually with a change of color on the chart.
- The third test is taking your blood sample and sending it to the lab electronically or online by email and you can later download your results once they are sent back to you.
The choice is yours among the three different test types and they all give accurate results.
6. Cholesterol Type Measured
All the home test kits test the total cholesterol, and the advanced home cholesterol testing kits have other options like triglycerides and HDL readings.
There is only one FAD Approved home test kit that tests the LDL. For more intensive analysis for your cholesterol level, the test kits are quite more expensive.
Pros of using Home Cholesterol Test Kits
- Approved test kits are affordable and easy to use and have accurate results although accuracy depends on the type of test kit that you are using.
- It’s convenient to use the kit at home thus saving you a lot of time and money to visit the doctor.
- With some test kits, you don’t need to fast for 8 to 12 hours before the blood test unlike at the health care center where your doctor recommends it’s a must to fast before the blood test.
Cons of using Home Cholesterol Test Kits:
- Most of the kits test only the overall cholesterol level, thus giving less information to analyze the health status of your heart.
- You cannot determine how to balance your cholesterol level but the doctor is in a position to advise on best tips to treat your cholesterol condition as he or she is an expert on the same.
- With some kits like the electronic ones, it may be quite hard to read the results on the colored test strip. This can make it difficult to analyze your results and hence need a doctor to help on the same.
Review Summary from Amazon Buyers
CardioChek Cholesterol Testing Kit comes with three strips which are quite easy to use as you insert them in the device though it needs a lot of blood than what is marked on the tube through the machine awaits the blood to be enough as required.
It’s advisable to have enough blood in the tube and it will only take three minutes to get your results.
Another customer comments that it is easy to use the home cholesterol tests and the results are quite fast and accurate.
It’s a more convenient way to have the home cholesterol test kit at home than to visit a doctor. The kit is quite expensive but it’s worth having one at home. The customer is satisfied with the kit and would be ordering more for health use.
The Bottomline…
In summation, you have to keep monitoring your cholesterol blood levels at home for your awareness.
Don’t wait until you are unwell to visit your doctor for a checkup. You can order the best home cholesterol tests like CardioChek Cholesterol from Amazon or any other type that is in stock as mentioned above.
The prices are quite friendly and you have enough test strips to conduct your home test.