THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION
On its Web site, the American Heart Association only recommends elaborate, expensive cholesterol tests. Here is their statement on testing yourself:
Cholesterol can play a critical role in a person's health. It's important that all people know what their cholesterol level is and how it affects their risk of developing heart disease. People also need to learn about all risk factors for heart disease.
High blood cholesterol is one of the major risk factors for heart disease that can be controlled. That's why knowing your total blood cholesterol level is an important first step in determining your risk for heart disease. However, a critical second step is knowing your HDL ("good") cholesterol level.
CHOLESTEROL HOME TESTING DEVICES
By the above ridiculous statement, the Ah-HA group proves once again how it is closely linked to the doctor/pharmaceutical conspiracy to milk the consumer for everything possible. Since there is no home test kit that evaluates the HDL or "good" cholesterol, they aren't recommending using such tests. Yet, all independent researchers in this field state that total cholesterol is the major factor, and if you can get your total cholesterol down to 150 or less, you can be almost certain that you are not depositing plaque in your arteries. At this level, there is a good chance that you are removing plaque. You can have the best possible HDL and the best possible HDL/LDL ratio and still have increasing arterial disease if your total cholesterol is too high. There isn't much that you can do about your HDL/LDL ratio anyway. But when all cholesterol is eliminated from the diet, most people find their cholestrol level dropping dramatically.
The American Heart Association hasn't taken a position on cholesterol home testing devices. At this time it's not possible to measure your HDL ("good") cholesterol level with home testing devices.
Consider this statement from page 22 of the 1979 paperback edition of The Pritikin Program for Diet and Exercise by Nathan Pritikin, the man who started this dietary revolution: "Keep cholesterol intake to the lowest possible level in order to keep serum cholesterol low. The HDL and LDL levels need not concern you. They are misleading and confusing. Total cholesterol level is what you ought to worry about." For more about Nathan Pritikin, see Nathan Pritikin: An American Hero.
To state that people should not be allowed to test themselves for total cholesterol because the test does not include the HDL has to take a prize for the most asinine statement of the year.
The real reason for their misleading and false statements is that the AHA does the dirty work of the doctors and drug companies. And the FDA is doing its part by putting up all the roadblocks it can in the path of small companies that would like to sell their test kits but can't. The AHA should be informing the public about such kits rather than criticizing them. In fact, they should be selling these kits, but what do you think the doctors would say about THAT? Think twice before donating any money to this organization.
This is a matter of LIFE AND DEATH for those who suffer from high cholesterol. Testing should be simple and cheap so it can be done frequently. But when profits are at stake, your life comes second!
In general, organizations with names like American (fill in a disease) Association are run BY doctors, FOR doctors, and should be regarded with suspicion.