Biosafe Cholesterol Panel, Yellow (1 test)

by BioSafe

Product Features

• Your complete cholesterol profile
• The most comprehensive choleterol test available
• Total cholesterol HDL - The good cholesterol LDL - The bad cholesterol Triglycerides
• Nationally certified laboratoy results by return mail
• Safe and easy to use

Product Description

The BIOSAFE Cholesterol Panel blood test is a laboratory procedure that measures the amount of total cholesterol in your blood, the amount of HDL cholesterol, your triglyceride level, and then accurately computes your LDL cholesterol value. This is the most comprehensive form of cholesterol testing available. Comparing the results of your initial Cholesterol Panel test to the results of subsequent tests can determine the progress you've made in reducing your overall coronary risk. The specimen collection process is quick, easy and virtually painless. Using the special lancet (included in the BIOSAFE Blood Collection Kit), a couple of drops of blood are taken from a nick of a finger and deposited onto a special collection card. The card is then sent to BIOSAFE Laboratories for analysis. BIOSAFE tests your blood sample to see how much total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides are present and then mails the results back to you in an easy-to-read, understandable report. Knowing your total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglyceride levels is an important first step in determining your risk for heart disease. Remember, just because you don't currently exhibit any signs of heart disease, doesn't mean you won't develop them. Now is the best time for prevention. Otherwise, a high blood cholesterol level, as well as other risk factors, can lead to possible serious problems in the future. High blood cholesterol is one of the major risk factors for coronary heart disease that you can modify. Don't delay finding out if you're at risk -- Your life is too important! Includes laboratory authorization form; blood collection card; blood sample return bag; easy to understand instructions; alcohol prep; gauze pad; 2 lancets; adhesive bandage; and postage paid return mail envelope.

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 8 x 6 x 3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000066J8U
• UPC: 702813301601
• Item model number: 11660860
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #203,481 in Health & Personal Care (See Top 100 in Health & Personal Care)
  • #23 in Health & Personal Care > Medical Supplies & Equipment > Tests > Health Tests > Cholesterol Tests
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars No Response to Inquiry on Possible Test Error, August 2, 2007

By 

Thomas W. Dunn (Central Square, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Biosafe Cholesterol Panel, Yellow (1 test) (Health and Beauty)

This is a portion of a letter I recently sent to the Laboratory Director of Biosafe Lab concerning an apparent result error. To date, I have had no response.

***********************************************************************
Friday, June 15, 2007

To: Erlo Roth, M.D.
Laboratory Director
Biosafe Laboratories, Inc.
8600 W. Catalpa
Chicago, IL60656

Ref: Patient no. XXXXXXXX
Specimen no. XXXXXXX


Dear Dr. Roth:

I recently submitted on 4/2/07 a self-collected dry-blood sample for lipid testing and received back the following results in your report dated 4/13/07:

Cholesterol: 224 mg/dl
HDL Cholesterol: 99
LDL Cholesterol: 97
Triglycerides: 140

This is the third such testing performed on samples submitted by me within the last year by your laboratory. In addition, I have obtained three other sets of lipid test results from Quest Laboratories through my cardiologist's office:

Analyte mg/dl 5/25/06 11/29/06 6/7/07
Total Chol 231 200 207
LDL 156 151 141
HDL 55 51 48
Triglycerides 100 91 89

Please note the recent HDL value of 99 mg/dl when compared with other results, including your own. This result seems in error, and may in fact be a maxed-out instrument reading. Your associated LDL result is a calculated value that would increase to 156 mg/dl if the average Quest result for HDL were substituted in the calculation. This LDL value is in line with previous LDL values from both Biosafe and Quest Lab, reinforcing the possibility of error in the HDL result.
***********************************************************************

I am a former supervisor of an industrial analytic laboratory, and have a lot of experience in testing and metrology. It seems apparent to me that the HDL reported by Biosafe is out of line, and causes additional error due to the calcuated nature of the LDL-c result. I expected a reasonable explanation and an offer to retest, but have no response at all over two months. This episode will end my use of Biosafe for any testing, since no further testing will be reliable to me.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Scientifically worthless, arguably dangerous, April 24, 2007

By 

Max Tegmark (Winchester, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Biosafe Cholesterol Panel, Yellow (1 test) (Health and Beauty)

Concerned about other reviews here claiming poor accuracy, I decided to carry out a really careful experiment. I measured my fasting lipids at my primary care physician (who does a regular blood draw sent to a lab) and with this Biosafe product merely 30 minutes later, obtaining the following results:

Lab Biosafe
183 128 total cholesterol
51 69 HDL
118 43 LDL
62 78 triglycerides

I didn't know whether to laugh of cry. Note that the LDL is off by almost a factor of three.
In other words, this product is useless at best, and downright dangerous if it lulls people into a false sense of security.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Simple, inexpensive test - but the authorization form ticked me off, January 20, 2007

By 

Mike in Illinois - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Biosafe Cholesterol Panel, Yellow (1 test) (Health and Beauty)

I think the Biosafe people did a fine job. The instructions that came with this kit were clear and straightforward, and the cholesterol report I received was very comprehensive. The whole experience was quick, painless and simple; if I had visited a doctor for a cholesterol test, the copayment alone would have been more than the cost of this kit. I don't have any reason to doubt the accuracy of the results - they were reasonably close to the last doctor-administered test I had.

However... I wouldn't have bought the test kit if I had seen the authorization form first. The form, which they say you must fill out completely, asks for a lot of personal information: social security #, age, height, weight, phone #, email address. (The SSN request seemed especially out of line - I gave them a phony number.) At the bottom, after the usual liability waiver, it says your signature indicates "I wish to be notified about products and services that relate to my health". There's no checkbox to opt out of this: if you want the sample tested, you have to sign the form, and that apparently puts you on some marketing list. I think that's despicable.

I had already paid for the test, so I signed the form. But I'm not happy that some telemarketer or spammer now has my name and other personal data. It's been a month now, and I haven't gotten any calls or Biosafe spam, so maybe I'm overreacting.