A cholesterol meter (or cholesterol monitor) is a handy new tool to help. Cholesterol testing meters are an easy way to do a cholesterol check at home. A cholesterol check meter can produce results in minutes, and some are known as a glucose cholesterol meter because they can check your glucose levels too. Cholesterol meters are fast becoming a tool commonly found in the home of health conscious individuals, and are used as a part of a stay healthy regime.
Although everyone needs cholesterol to help the body build new cells and produce hormones, high cholesterol levels can be harmful. The body gets its cholesterol (a fatty substance) via the diet and the liver. While the liver produces around 80 percent, foods such as meat, fish, cheese, and animal products provide the rest.
Foods that contain saturated fats result in the body producing more cholesterol. Many people think that avoiding animal products is the answer for how to reduce cholesterol, but there are foods that don’t contain animal products but do contain trans-fats which will still lead to the body making more cholesterol.
Cholesterol travels around the bloodstream by latching on to specific proteins.
Very bad cholesterol is known as VLDL or very low density lipoprotein.
Bad cholesterol is known as LDL or low density lipoprotein.
Good cholesterol is known as HDL or high density lipoprotein.
Chylomicrons carry a small amount of cholesterol but a large amount of fat known as triglycerides. High LDL cholesterol levels is often a factor in coronary artery disease such as atherosclerosis. This sort of disease can lead to strokes and heart disease, etc. High fat diets, obesity, stress, and inactivity, are all contributing factors in raising cholesterol levels. The problem can also be hereditary. Hospitals frequently advise doing a cholesterol check on these vulnerable groups of people, and they use very similar machines to the cholesterol meters you would use at home.
Many people are unable to pay for frequent cholesterol testing and this is where a home blood cholesterol meter comes in very handy. A cholesterol monitor (such as a home cholesterol meter) allows you to see what is actually going on inside your bloodstream and make any necessary adjustments, such as trying a cholesterol diet where you introduce foods to lower cholesterol. Using a cholesterol test meter will allow you to take control of your health and you should then take steps to find out exactly how to lower LDL cholesterol.
