After three months of following tips to reduce my cholesterol levels, I got a blood cholesterol screening done. The results, not good and not convincing.
The screening is a finger prick blood test that takes 5 minutes to determine total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. I should have walked away after the first attempt. When they ran the test with first time (from my right hand if you were wondering) the results came back with a big …
N/A
N/A what the heck is that? This is supposed to be a blood test, what kind of number is N/A?
That was the result for my LDL, and HDL levels. When I asked the doctor about it she said, “the machine must not like your blood”. Well, that’s perfect. I asked if they could retest and they did on a different machine and from my other hand. What fun!
The results came back with the following changes from January:
- Total Cholesterol – up 23%
- HDL – up 13%
- LDL – up 18%
- Triglycerides – up 82%
But then the doctor said, “remember this is only a screening, your numbers could vary.”
Well what is it? Are the numbers from a finger prick screening more inaccurate than a full lab analysis of blood?
We will find out. I haven’t decided if I will call my doctor, or just keep with the plan and have a lab analysis done in June.
How have your numbers compared when checked with lab analysis versus finger prick blood screening?
About Troy Pesola
Troy is the founder of Cube.Dweller.Fitness. He's an innovation catalyst in several areas of life including business, marketing, and process improvement. Outside of work he's actively involved in fitness, health, and living vibrantly in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.
Want to discuss? Join the conversation CubeDwellerFitness's Facebook Page.