Cholesterol home test

Cholesterol often has a one-sided negative resonance, but in reality it is not necessarily bad. Cholesterol is a substance that falls under the “fats. Your body makes its own cholesterol in several places, and you also get it through your diet.

It is a necessary substance for the production of bile, hormones and vitamin D. Cholesterol is also needed to build and protect our cells. Thus, in the long run, the right amount of cholesterol protects against cardiovascular disease. So the “right amount” is important, because excess cholesterol (and especially LDL cholesterol) does cause problems and even cardiovascular disease.

Yes, you can measure your cholesterol yourself. A cholesterol self-test is reliable and not at all difficult to perform. Easly is happy to help you get your results quickly and help with Medical Interpretation & Advice.

Cholesterol is often negatively associated with unhealthy diet and lifestyle. This is not surprising when you know that as many as one in three Dutch people have cholesterol that is too high. But that negative association is not entirely justified. In fact, cholesterol is very important for various processes in the body.

Cholesterol is necessary for building our body cells, producing bile, making hormones and producing vitamin D. Also, the “good” cholesterol protects the cell walls of blood vessels from damage. With that, cholesterol may even protect you from long-term cardiovascular disease.

The negative association of cholesterol is easy to explain: excess cholesterol is not good for you, and especially excess LDL cholesterol. HDL and LDL cholesterol are two of the five lipoproteins, which along with free fatty acids (triglycerides) are measured by the cholesterol self-test.

HDL stands for
high-density lipoprotein
and is popularly known as the “good cholesterol. HDL causes excess cholesterol to be cleared from the body and transported to the liver, where it can then be excreted with the bile in the stool. A good HDL value is higher than 1 mmol/L.

LDL stands for
low-density lipoprotein
and is known as the “bad cholesterol. LDL particles are harmful because, if present in excess in the body, they deposit in the walls of blood vessels. Next, cells of the immune system will try to clear these LDL particles, leading to a local inflammatory response. Over time, the walls of the blood vessels will become filled with so-called “plaques. This is also known as arteriosclerosis or atherosclerosis. The plaques narrow the vessels until there is no more room for blood to flow. If that happens in the vessels surrounding the heart, it can lead to a heart attack. Ideally, the LDL level should be below 3 mmol/L.

Finally, free fatty acids, or triglycerides, are also measured. Like cholesterol, triglycerides are made by the body both in the liver and from food. They serve as a source of energy for our muscles. But when triglycerides are in excess, they are stored in the body as fat reserves. The triglyceride level should stay below 2.

Taking a cholesterol self-test is useful for anyone, especially if your lifestyle is “unhealthy.” Smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, low exercise and unhealthy eating and drinking all negatively affect the risk of cardiovascular disease. Hereditary predisposition, ancestry, age, gender and underlying diseases also play a role. If you want to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, analyzing your cholesterol can be an interesting first step. Our doctors are happy to help read your values and give advice, as needed.

Your total cholesterol level should not exceed 5. LDL levels stay better below 3 mmol/L and HDL levels above 1 mmol/L. The triglyceride level had better be below 2.

The cholesterol home test lets you take a drop of blood with a finger prick. You send that sample to our lab, where we run the necessary tests. We examine the concentration of a number of so-called blood lipids (HDL and LDL cholesterol), total cholesterol, tryglicerides and the ratios “total cholesterol vs HDL cholesterol” and “LDL cholesterol vs HDL cholesterol. We communicate these blood values back to you.

Want to get started and measure your cholesterol yourself? With the cholesterol home test, you take a blood sample yourself with a simple finger prick. We analyze this in our lab and determine a complete “lipid spectrum” (or “lipid spectrum” in technical jargon). This includes:

• The “total cholesterol.
• The “lipoproteins”: HDL and LDL,
• The free fatty acids, or “triglycerides.
• The ratios (proportions) between total cholesterol and HDL as well as between LDL and HDL
• We will share these results with you as soon as possible.

The cholesterol home test result report offers you an analysis of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglyceride concentration and “total/HDL” and “LDL/HDL” ratios.
Ideally, total cholesterol should remain below 5, triglycerides below 2, LDL below 3 mmol/L and HDL above 1 mmol/L.

The recommendations you get after taking your cholesterol home test depend on how much risk you are at for cardiovascular disease. It is certainly helpful to eat healthier, moderate your alcohol consumption, exercise more, lose excess weight and quit smoking. If you are already taking certain medications, their use and effects sometimes need to be re-examined. If the analysis shows that you are at high risk for cardiovascular disease, cholesterol-lowering or blood pressure-lowering medications may also provide relief.

Cholesterol is often negatively associated with unhealthy diet and lifestyle. This is not surprising when you know that as many as one in three Dutch people have cholesterol that is too high. But that negative association is not entirely justified. In fact, cholesterol is very important for various processes in the body.

Cholesterol is necessary for building our body cells, producing bile, making hormones and producing vitamin D. Also, the “good” cholesterol protects the cell walls of blood vessels from damage. With that, cholesterol may even protect you from long-term cardiovascular disease.

The negative association of cholesterol is easy to explain: excess cholesterol is not good for you, and especially excess LDL cholesterol. HDL and LDL cholesterol are two of the five lipoproteins, which along with free fatty acids (triglycerides) are measured by the cholesterol self-test.

HDL stands for high-density lipoprotein and is popularly known as the “good cholesterol. HDL causes excess cholesterol to be cleared from the body and transported to the liver, where it can then be excreted with the bile in the stool. A good HDL value is higher than 1 mmol/L.

LDL stands for low-density lipoprotein and is known as the “bad cholesterol. LDL particles are harmful because, if present in excess in the body, they deposit in the walls of blood vessels. Next, cells of the immune system will try to clear these LDL particles, leading to a local inflammatory response. Over time, the walls of the blood vessels will become filled with so-called “plaques. This is also known as arteriosclerosis or atherosclerosis. The plaques narrow the vessels until there is no more room for blood to flow. If that happens in the vessels surrounding the heart, it can lead to a heart attack. Ideally, the LDL level should be below 3 mmol/L.

Finally, free fatty acids, or triglycerides, are also measured. Like cholesterol, triglycerides are made by the body both in the liver and from food. They serve as a source of energy for our muscles. But when triglycerides are in excess, they are stored in the body as fat reserves. The triglyceride level is supposed to stay below 2.

Depending on the degree of cardiovascular disease risk, there are a number of ways to reduce the risk. First and foremost are lifestyle changes, such as eating healthier, drinking less alcohol, exercising more, losing weight, quitting smoking, etc. If the risk is higher, it is sometimes necessary to use medication to reduce the risk. Consider cholesterol-lowering drugs or drugs that lower blood pressure. Re-evaluating the efficacy of medications you were already on, such as to maintain blood sugar levels, may also be among the options.

Did your cholesterol test reveal bad values? This can have several causes. Some things are beyond your control, such as your ancestry, hereditary disposition, gender or age. But smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, lack of exercise and unhealthy eating can also cause your cholesterol to rise significantly.

There are several ways to improve your cholesterol levels. Everything starts with healthy eating and a more active lifestyle. Losing weight, drinking less alcohol and quitting smoking are three steps you can take yourself. In more high-risk cases, medication may be chosen.

All of our tests require a minimum age of 18.

At Easly, you are properly supervised and can take the test in your own safe environment. The home blood test come with clear instructions for self-use. Our online environment is also of high quality, where we do not take any risks regarding the protection of your personal data. Our digital and physical processes are heavily secured.