Contents:
- Medical Video: LDL and HDL Cholesterol | Good and Bad Cholesterol | Nucleus Health
- The cause of the cholesterol test results may be inaccurate
- What should be done when the cholesterol test results appear inaccurate?
Medical Video: LDL and HDL Cholesterol | Good and Bad Cholesterol | Nucleus Health
If you have your own health equipment at home, you might often do simple tests to monitor yourself and your family's health. One of them is a cholesterol test, a measurement that is quite often worrying because it is associated with risk factors for heart disease and stroke.
Sometimes, you have found a cholesterol test result indicating "LO", "HI", or different from the results of previous measurements. This might indicate that the measurement is not accurate. So, what's the cause? Find out through the following reviews.
The cause of the cholesterol test results may be inaccurate
Cholesterol tests are used to measure certain types of fats (lipids) in the bloodstream. In adults, the normal total cholesterol level is less than 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg / dL). Someone is said to have high cholesterol if the levels reach 240 mg / dL or more.
According to the American Heart Association, high cholesterol is a major cause of coronary heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes. Well, this is the importance of regular cholesterol tests, so you can know the conditions and health risks that might occur.
Reporting from WebMD, cholesterol testing devices at home generally have an accuracy of around 95 percent or close to the results of measurements with laboratory equipment. However, there is still a 5 percent chance that the measurement results will be inaccurate.
Usually, this is caused by a temporary change in your body because:
- Affected by heart disease recently, such as a heart attack or stroke. These events can reduce lipid levels for a while.
- Just had surgery or had a certain infection. This can reduce lipid levels which affect test results.
- Take certain medicines, such as corticosteroids and estrogen, which can increase lipid levels.
- Pregnancy can increase cholesterol levels. Therefore, a more accurate cholesterol test will appear after four months postpartum.
- Eat certain foods. This is why you are recommended to fast for 9 to 12 hours before the cholesterol test. However, if you did not fast beforehand, immediately notify the doctor.
- Drink alcohol. You should avoid alcoholic drinks for 24 hours before measurement.
- Human error. It is not impossible if the test results are inaccurate due to human errors or laboratory errors, although it is quite rare.
What should be done when the cholesterol test results appear inaccurate?
Some people may not be aware that the cholesterol test results performed are inaccurate and tend to be thankful for the results. However, if you suspect that the results are inaccurate, then don't hesitate to ask for a retest on the medical team.
If you want to do a cholesterol test at the hospital, make sure you have notified the medical team about the health problems that are being experienced, family history of heart disease, and medications that are being consumed. This aims to prevent the possibility of inaccurate test results.
Whereas if you do it yourself at home, make sure that you have avoided things that can affect the test results. Remember, the results of your cholesterol test are the key to determining the risk of heart disease or stroke. So it is important for you to have the most accurate test results.
If you are confused about doing a cholesterol check at home, it is better to consult with the medical team about how to use the tool and what are the restrictions. That way, you can get more accurate cholesterol levels.
Besides that, don't just stick to one type of test. You also need to do other health tests, such as checking blood sugar, gout, and other tests to ensure your health condition.
