How to check cholesterol at home

A brief overview of the top current options for testing from home, and their benefits.

After so many years of being forced to visit a doctor’s office or laboratory to check your cholesterol, it’s a real breath of fresh air that there are now several reliable options for checking cholesterol at home. You will likely need to take a small blood sample regardless of the test you choose, but modern testing kits make all of this quite easy. We’ll explore your options below.

Before checking your cholesterol at home, it is important to make sure that the test you choose not only checks your Total Cholesterol, but also the breakdown of Total Cholesterol into the healthier HDL (good) cholesterol, less healthy LDL (bad) cholesterol, and Triglycerides, or fats in the blood. Some tests will give you a result after a few minutes of processing your sample, while others will have you mail in your sample.

As said, there are several options now available for at-home cholesterol monitoring that won’t require some people to visit a doctor or a lab. Here are some common testing solutions that may work for you.

• Some drug stores, such as CVS and Walgreens, now offer cholesterol tests that you can purchase for use at home. Common home testing brands include HomeAccess and FirstCheck. The cost varies depending on how complete the test is, as many of these tests only check Total Cholesterol, and do not include a breakdown of the markers (HDL, LDL, Triglycerides).

• Amazon.com also sells various at-home cholesterol testing kits. You should read the detailed descriptions and reviews of these tests to determine how complete the test is before deciding to buy here. Check for tests that provide a breakdown of HDL, LDL, and Triglycerides markers.

• Of course, we recommend ordering a cholesterol and lipids test from Everlywell.com. We actually work with many of the same labs that you would traditionally have had to visit to produce a detailed cholesterol report. Not only does Everlywell’s Cholesterol and Lipids test check your complete lipid profile (Total Cholesterol, HDL, LDL, Triglycerides), but our Heart Health test also checks other risk factors for cardiovascular disease including hs-CRP, a marker of inflammation, and hemoglobin A1c, which represents your average blood sugar over the last few months.

And as always: After you take any at-home cholesterol test, you should discuss the test with your health care provider to make sure that you understand your results and the implications for your health.

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