Health takes up increasing amounts of our attention. Having high blood cholesterol increases your risk of cardiovascular disease. Almost a quarter of the Dutch population has a high cholesterol level. High cholesterol is not something you can feel, but it can have serious consequences for your health.
That is why it is important to have your cholesterol checked regularly. With our Cholesterol self-test you can easily gain insight into your own cholesterol levels.
Our Cholesterol self-test measures four values:
It is completely anonymous;
You can always come to us:
You do not have to go directly to a healthcare provider;
The test is as reliable as the one used in hospitals;
Our clinical chemist will assess your results and give you tailored advice;
Cholesterol and triglycerides are fats that are used as building materials for cells and hormones in your body. They are produced by our own liver, but are also in our diet. On the one hand, we need them, but too high a concentration of these fats increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Cholesterol and fatty acids are transported through the blood in lipoproteins - a kind of 'fat globule'. LDL and HDL are two types of fat globule that can transport cholesterol. LDL stands for low-density cholesterol and HDL for high-density cholesterol. An increased concentration of LDL cholesterol is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. An elevated HDL cholesterol level, on the other hand, is associated with a reduced risk. Total cholesterol can be calculated using LDL, HDL and triglycerides.
An elevated cholesterol level contributes to the development of arteriosclerosis, in which the arteries become increasingly narrow. Cholesterol particles and other fatty substances stick to damaged spots in the walls of arteries. A thickening develops, known as a plaque.
Less blood can flow past a plaque. Organs (such as the heart or brain) receive less oxygen as a result. A plaque can also rupture, causing bleeding that can cause a blood clot to form. It can close off the blood vessel directly or be carried along with the blood stream. The blood clot can cause a blockage somewhere further along. This can then completely cut off the blood supply. The tissue behind it no longer receives any oxygen, and dies.
Arteriosclerosis can lead to:
With a healthy lifestyle you can lower the cholesterol level in your blood.
High cholesterol increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. But other factors also play a role, such as being overweight, high blood pressure and smoking. Below is a list of risk factors for high cholesterol.
Various tests can be performed to find out what your cholesterol levels are.
The Cholesterol test that we offer at How Are You Diagnostics is the same laboratory test that is also performed by hospital laboratories. We distinguish ourselves by offering the majority of our tests via a self-test kit. This means that you can have our tests delivered to any postal address, after which you can take the sample for the chosen test yourself at any time. So you can take your sample at home, just like with a self-test/home test.
You can also buy a self-test at the drugstore or pharmacy. For these, you put a drop of blood on a special strip and the result is displayed immediately. The self-test gives you an impression of the cholesterol level in the blood.
Most self-tests on the market usually only measure the total cholesterol level. This doesn't tell you what your HDL and LDL cholesterol levels are. These tests are therefore not sufficient. In addition, it is much more reliable to have the test performed in a laboratory and have the result determined by a doctor (clinical chemist). Our self-sampling test gives you a complete picture.
Taking a cholesterol test at your doctor or in the hospital is often twice as expensive. You also have to make an appointment and go to the appointment to do a blood test.
Wij hebben speciale thuis testen ontwikkeld zodat jij ze gemakkelijk thuis, op ieder gewenst moment, kunt uitvoeren. Het geeft snel zekerheid en helpt belangrijke vragen te beantwoorden.
Om de test uit te voeren maakt u gebruik van onze How Are You Diagnostics App. Deze App is te downloaden in de App Store en de Google Play Store. Hierin maakt u een persoonlijk account aan, koppelt u de test aan uw account en wordt u stap voor stap uitgelegd hoe u de test uitvoert. Verstuur de test en ontvang het resultaat in uw persoonlijke account van onze beveiligde App. Het is niet mogelijk om het testresultaat te ontvangen zonder het gebruik van de App.
Verstuur de test zo snel mogelijk na afname; dit kan gratis via een reguliere PostNL brievenbus.
Tijdens het gehele proces gaan we vertrouwelijk met uw gegevens om. Na ontvangst in het laboratorium ontvangt u binnen 5 werkdagen de resultaten in de App. U ontvangt een melding als het resultaat beschikbaar is.
Inhoud van de test:
De afname instructies zijn te vinden in de How Are You Diagnostics App.
Testen in vier stappen: