Health :: General |
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High Cholesterol Or Poor Procedure? |
| In the same way that improper procedures could easily lead to a misdiagnosis of having high blood pressure, the same thing holds true for cholesterol testing. If you’ve been diagnosed as having high blood cholesterol levels you owe it to yourself (and your pocketbook) to at least make sure the test results are accurate. |
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In the same way that improper procedures could easily lead to a misdiagnosis of having high blood pressure, the same thing holds true for cholesterol testing. If you’ve been diagnosed as having high blood cholesterol levels you owe it to yourself (and your pocketbook) to at least make sure the test results are accurate.
First of all, don’t have your lab work done in your doctor’s office. I’ll admit that some doctors have excellent in-house laboratories, but it’s not worth taking the gamble. A study of lab tests performed in Pennsylvania doctor’s offices revealed and average error rate of 15 percent. (JAMA, July 8, 88.) Pennsylvania was chosen because it is one of the few states that actually regulates and licenses laboratories in doctor’s offices. In most states, all a doctor needs is a portable lab machine and he’s in business.
Oftentimes, the equipment is run by someone with no formal training or expertise in the area. (Be aware also, with doctors’ incomes on the decline, drug companies are encouraging doctors to purchase portable in-house testing equipment for cholesterol, blood sugar, urinalysis, etc. It increases income as well as drug sales.)
Independent laboratories (licensed by the Clinical Laboratories Improvement Act of 1967-CLIA) or large hospital labs are generally more accurate, although far from perfect. Federal guidelines say that cholesterol testing equipment should be accurate to within 15 percent. That large margin of error can only confuse things further. For example, let’s say your cholesterol test measures 200 mg/dl (the top level now considered safe). With a 15 percent margin of error, it could really be 170 (just fine) or 230 (enough for many doctors to prescribe medication)!
Remember too that blood samples taken after you’ve been lying down and then sit up can cause fluid shifts in the body which can cause cholesterol readings to vary another 15 to 20 percent.
If the blood sample is taken from a vein with a needle and syringe, make sure the tourniquet is not left on over a minute or two and it should always be released before the blood is drawn. Otherwise, the blood will be "stagnant" and give false test results.
If blood is taken using a finger prick, make sure you are sitting at the time and the technician doesn’t milk your finger to extract blood. Ignoring either of these procedures will result in false readings.
If one of your cholesterol tests is high, have several additional tests done over a period of a month or two. Use a different lab and implement some of the natural methods of lowering blood cholesterol before making any decisions about cholesterol-lowering drugs. Personally, I don’t like needles or having my finger pricked. But I like unnecessary drugs even less.
For more information, visit http://www.searchhearthealth.com
Dr. Williams is known for his independence and down-to-earth personality. He also has a hard-earned reputation as one of the world's leading authorities on natural healing. Often years ahead of the conventional medical establishment, he has traveled worldwide to locate, evaluate, formulate, and write about proven treatments and cures for practically every major health concern today.
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Article Source: www.activehowto.com
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Posted 2009-03-25 12:47:43 By David Williams
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