Cholesterol Monitor
It is important for people to know their cholesterol values so that they can make necessary lifestyle changes to improve their heart health if needed. Healthcare providers can monitor levels in their office, either with blood draw tests or finger stick tests. At-home monitors are also available now that allow patients to check their cholesterol conveniently between visits with their healthcare provider. This works in much the same way that diabetics can self-monitor their glucose levels at home. Patients can use a monitor to check their cholesterol levels and monitor them over time, sharing the results with their providers, also, while enjoying the convenience of fewer trips to the office or lab.
This means of testing can prove quite beneficial in helping a patient see the relationship between diet and cholesterol. One can try the various low cholesterol dieting tips given here and elsewhere, and one can then see the results of their efforts by closely following changes in their cholesterol levels. Alternately, if someone slips back into eating fatty, high-cholesterol foods, that person can see how that impacts the cholesterol readings, as well.
If a healthcare provider starts a patient on a new supplement, like fish oil, or a new cholesterol medication, the patient can monitor the effects on cholesterol readings and give the provider feedback more quickly and efficiently than if they had to schedule to come to the provider’s office for a blood draw.
Many cholesterol monitors keep a log of multiple patient tests, also. This allows the patient and the provider to track the patient’s cholesterol progress over time, and even plot results on charts, graphs, and other useful tools for patient care. The more information providers have, the better they can calculate a patient’s risk of heart disease and determine how to decrease it.
There are some things to keep in mind to ensure that at-home monitoring has accuracy similar to testing in the provider office, however. For example, people should remember not to squeeze or “milk” the finger too firmly to collect the blood sample. This could change the accuracy of the cholesterol test results. Individuals who use an at-home cholesterol monitor should ask their healthcare provider and staff if they have questions about how to use their particular monitor for the most accurate results.
A patient should also follow regularly with a healthcare provider to interpret what the at-home test results mean for that particular person. A variety of risk factors interact to produce an individual’s heart disease risk, and cholesterol values are only part of the equation. If someone has had a heart attack already, healthcare providers will want that person’s cholesterol in a lower range than someone without a history of heart disease. The recommended cholesterol levels for a certain person will vary depending on the combination of other risk factors, so it is necessary for a patient to review results periodically with a healthcare provider to ensure that they get correct interpretation of results and what the results mean for their heart disease risk.
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