Hi not sure If this has been covered before so thought I'd ask , just had a test (at the chemist ) and got quite a scary reading of 10.2 hdl of 2.53
I have read that arthritis which I have been having a flare up can increase the reading so can steroids and nsaids which I am currently taking anyone have any views / information on this ?
John
That is high but your hdl is very good. I'm struggling to get mine above 0.9. I've read tgat tge chemist tests aren't as reliable as the tests taken at Dr's surgery. I would suggest booking a blood test with nurse and get all your numbers broken down. With a high hdl your total cholesterol may not be as bad as it seems
Hi John, you need to go to the GP and get your cholesterol tested properly in a lab, a test at a chemists may not be accurate.
If you have rheumatoid arthritis your doctors should be monitoring your heart health in any case, as it's a risk factor.
Please go the GP and discuss it with them.
One of the jobs of cholesterol is to repair damaged tissues & joints. In an inflammed body (and RA is inflammation), cholesterol levels will be higher as the cholesterol deals with trying to sort out the problem. They say you shouldn't have a cholesterol test within several weeks of being ill, having surgery or an injury as your levels will be higher. My cholesterol jumped 3 whole points shortly after I started HIIT exercise, which is stressful on the body and causes lots of little muscle tears!
Well after a visit to the docs had some blood tests and low and behold total cholesterol of 4.7 hdl of 1.8 ...guess lloyds pharmacy may need some new equipment
But I learnt loads from this site so it's grass fed meats and dairy from now on ..lots of vitamin k2 nuts and oily fish from now on and less carbs 😀
May be if you can go back to the chemist and explain the difference in result and suggest they get the test unit calibrated so others can get a good reading.
Yes I fully intend to ..2 visits to the doctors and one to the nurse lots stress and my Time off work and the health service time too
Thank you.
I used three chemists in Berkshire, Sainsbury's, Asda and Lloyds just to check their kit out because of advertisements, at the time when I did this three years ago people were learning and I was able to ask questions on the cholesterol numbers as I already had GP blood test numbers. I find it difficult to understand 50% difference!!!
I called them earlier the lady that done it said might been because I'd eaten a few hours before ...50% I said I think not so she going to test it on herself ...I don't think there well trained to be honest.
It varies from person to person, but my non-fasting tests have always given higher readings than fasting ones.
Blood glucose is where you need to fast for 12 hours, where as blood cholesterol blood can be taken any time!
How much difference in blood cholesterol test with fasting and no fasting?
In the above example there was a difference of 50% between the chemist test and hospital test. Fasting or non fasting
Chemist test is done by a hand held terminal, battery operated.
The device power requirements ( Hoe old are the batteries) needs to be checked as well as calibration.
We have a home BP machine, batteries are always out, we only put the battery when we want to use it and also batteries are checked.
I registered mid-8s on a non-fasting test not long after a fasting test showed high-6s. Both of those were hospital tests, blood drawn about 1030. I know the theory is that it should affect glucose, but that was around 4.5 both tests. I don't eat much added sugar or whatever you want to call it and I don't know if that makes a difference.
A relative has told me that a free chemist cholesterol test they had (curiosity!) gave a false low reading, something like 4.high instead of 6.high.
I would like to complain, could you please let me know the area you live.
Cholesterol reading of 15
Cholesterol /Statins
High cholesteroL
Cholesterol lower 
