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Cholesterol Home Monitors

Cholesterol home monitors are great devices as they let you check your own cholesterol numbers at home without having to go in for a doctor's visit. Of course, you want your doctor to check your cholesterol as well, but when you don't have an appointment scheduled, a do-it-yourself option helps you keep tabs on your health.

Why Check Your Cholesterol?

When your cholesterol numbers and triglyceride levels are out of control, you are at serious risk of any number of heart disease-related problems. The foods you consume on a daily basis have much to do with your elevated blood numbers as anything else, and with portable cholesterol home monitors, you can easily check what the foods you eat do to the fat content in your blood. This can help you choose healthier foods. Daily exercise is important as well and by eating healthier, exercising regularly, and checking your blood cholesterol level on a daily or weekly basis, you can improve your decision-making skill as to what is best for your health.

When beginning to test your cholesterol, it is recommended by the National Cholesterol Education Program to test four to five times during a six-week period as your cholesterol screenings can vary by as much as six percent each day. Once you have established a baseline, the numbers you retrieve will be balanced and can be put in proper perspective.

Understanding the Numbers

As you probably know, there is good cholesterol (known as HDL) and bad cholesterol (known as LDL). These numbers combine to form your overall cholesterol number, which should be lower than 200 mg/dL. Some amount of cholesterol is needed in your body to produce cell membranes, some types of hormones, as well as other bodily functions. Your body produces some cholesterol; the rest you receive from the foods you eat. Foods such as animal products (meats, poultry, fish, eggs, butter, cheese, and whole milk) contain cholesterol, while plant products (fruits, vegetables, and cereals) do not. Understanding your readings will help to ensure you get the most out of cholesterol home monitors.

One Choice

One option is a Cardio-Chek machine. It will allow you to test your whole blood system. This blood check system will also monitor your diabetes blood sugar numbers as well as your cholesterol numbers. It is one test that gives you two different numbers with just one finger prick for one drop of blood. It is easy to use, and the results are almost instantaneous, within about one minute. It has internal storage and lets you keep your numbers for later review. It is known for giving accurate results and is a very affordable model.

The professional version of Cardio-Chek is more expensive than the regular model, but it breaks your cholesterol numbers down into good cholesterol, bad cholesterol, and triglycerides. It is also known for accurate results and has internal storage capabilities so that you may review your numbers at any time. It has a menu operation that makes it very user-friendly. Both of these devices arrive with a carrying case, batteries, and a users' guide. You will need to purchase various test strips separately. Both machines utilize the latest technology to give you answers regarding your health.

Your overall health depends on how much fat and cholesterol is retained in your body and clogs up the walls of your arteries. Cholesterol home monitors can help you keep a check on the fats in your blood. Eat healthy, exercise regularly, and keep an eye on your blood numbers in order to do your best to prevent a heart attack or stroke.