›› Cholesterol Monitors

Over the counter home cholesterol tests have been around for about 13 years now. They have been tested and approved by the American Medical Association and do have some great advantages. They are accurate 95 percent of the time when you use them as directed. This is just as good as going to the doctor and much less expensive. You never need a prescription to get one of these at your local pharmacy. The average price for a home cholesterol test is 14 bucks. You will definitely save time and money going back and forth to the doctor to take these if you are currently doing so.

As with anything else, there are certain "drawbacks" to consider. First off, just like you must do when taking a test with your physician, you must remember to fast. Not doing so will throw off your numbers and will make you look like you have higher cholesterol than you actually do. Secondly, most of these home exams give you what is called a "total cholesterol reading." This means that you will not have your results categorized in either being HDL or LDL cholesterol. In this case, you will lose out on an actual tally of what your cholesterol levels actually are for both categories. You won't be able to see exactly how bad your cholesterol levels actually are most of the time. When taking these home tests, many people tend to neglect to get the adequate professional follow up care that they need. It is important not to let yourself slip like this because it can prove tragic in the long run.

The home cholesterol tests are highly accurate, but if you use these you must remember to also make regular appointments with your doctor. Your doctor will be better able to tell you where your HDL and LDL levels really are as well as how your triglycerides are doing at any given time. These tests can be good for an initial diagnosis, but it is always important to get the follow up care you need in order to totally combat the problem.

If you would like a home cholesterol monitor, a you can get one at Free Medical Supplies . You will be asked to enter your information to see if you qualify to receive your monitor free.