On Mon, 14 Jul 1997, Toby Martin wrote:

> > Although two weeks ago I had been alarmed at total cholesterol
> > level of 302, with LDL 242, a week later I bought a CholesTrak
> > kit and used it, after just a few days of nutritional
> > supplementation.  My total cholesterol reading was 205.

> That's interesting. How much did the kit set you back, btw? And
> does it give info other than total cholesterol?

It was about 11 dollars for a single test at CVS.  I think you
can get a 2-pack for about 18.  It measures only total
cholesterol, which is probably not very useful in itself.  Given
the recent spike in my LDL, a major drop in total cholesterol is
very likely a drop in LDL for the most part.

> Are you at all suspicious that the 100 point drop is perhaps
> in part due to inaccuracy on the part of the kit?

I am equally suspicious that the initial measurement of 302 was a
lab error.  The kit documentation claims 97% accuracy.  It also
claims that physicians use these same kits for in-office testing,
which I was able to verify with my own physician.  If subsequent
CholesTrak measurements are near the 205 level, I'll take that as
fairly good evidence that the 302 value was either a measurement
error or a stress-induced surge.

Todd Moody
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