Customer Reviews

Cholestrak Total Cholesterol Home Testing Kit

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The packaging of CholesTrak claims you can find your total cholesterol level in 12 minutes, and that the result is as accurate as lab tests -- about 97%. My experience so far has been less than thrilling.

First, I found the test very difficult to use. On paper, you just prick a finger, drop some blood into the test kit, wait three minutes, pull a plastic tab to start the reaction, and find your cholesterol level in 10 minutes or so.

In reality, the test doesn't always work. My first test did not show any result whatsoever. The thermometer-like cholesterol meter didn't change color at all. I had followed the instructions very carefully. My conclusion was there was something wrong with the kit.

My second test was a little better, although I had to sacrifice another finger to the painful pricking. (Each package comes with two tests, each test has its own finger-pricking needle, band-aid, and test platform.) The plastic tab is very difficult to pull; I almost spilled some blood when I pulled it. This time I got the reaction to work, but the color was very difficult to see even under direct light. The real problem: my test result on this kit was much lower than my lab-test result from last week. So this calls into question how accurate CholesTrak really is.

While the idea of testing your cholesterold level (total only, no HDL/LDL breakdown) sounds great, CholesTrak simply fails to deliver. It's pretty much a waste of money.

The results of the CholesTrak and the results from the hospital, taken within the same hour, do not match. I've done the Cholestrak 4 times - twice within the time frame of the hospital. There was a 60 point differential on total cholesterol, with CholesTrak being the lower number.

Although it is not accurate, the Cholestrak does give an indication of whether I'm going in the right direction with my food choices and exercise. When my cholesterol was 320 from the hospital, Cholestrak registered about 250. When I reduced my cholesterol to 245 per the hospital, Cholestrak registered 187.

I have used Cholestrak to measure total cholesterol about 20 times over the past few years, and always found it to be easy to use, and very accurate. The accuracy was always within 10% of a follow up laboratory test. There was one time when I used an old Cholestrak test which was taken more than 2 years after the expiration date on the package, and that result was low by 25%. I have had so much success with Cholestrak, I feel the other reviewers are probably not following the instructions in the test kit.

I had my cholesterol tested at an urgent care facility and it was 213. Four days later, I tested my cholesterol with the Cholestrak and it was around 157 (somewhat difficult to determine if it was 157 or 161 or even possibly 164). I did change my diet drastically for the last 4 days, but I highly doubt it made this much of a difference in only 4 days. If it did, I would be really happy! I'll know how much my cholesterol really changed in a month when I go back to have it checked at the urgent care facility again.

I've used this a few times and each time before bloodwork, It has only been off by maybe 3 - always under what the doctor's office results are. I don't have high cholesterol but I like to check things myself as I just don't trust doctors alot these days and all their pills, etc. Drug for everything it seems. Always good to have a second opinion.

I am only indicating one star [...]

This product did not work for me either. After spending BOTH of the included "finger prick" devices to get enough blood to cover the black circle initially, I waited the 12 minutes or so...both indicators changed color as stated, but there was no reading! Nothing. I have almost perfect vision and I was reading this under a lamp with a 200w bulb.

I began thinking something must be wrong with this contraption and got online to read other's reviews.

[...]

I got nothing for the $15 I spent on this. All I have left is an unused second test device and nothing to prick my finger with. Well, I suppose I could play with the needle device and try and use it over again, but I really shouldn't have to...ya know?

I am going to start with Cholestrak in getting my money refunded. If I get nowhere with that, I will go to Amazon seeking refund and if that goes nowhere, perhaps I will be opening a dispute with my credit card bank. I advise the same to others who have wasted their money on this product.

This thing did not work at all. I have done it twice. The first time, color did not changed at all; the second time, the first indicator (the OK indicator) changed the color, but it never reach end indicator. So after pricking finger twice, there is no reading of cholesterol at all, not even an inaccurate one.

Since I check my total cholesterol quite often, this product has worked good for me. When I want to break down the HDL and the LDL, I do a test kit at home that will give me these readings, but for a total reading in between, I use this one and I am quite satisfied with it. Also my nutritionist recommended this one to me, saying he thought it was the best and most accurate.