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Posted by David | Posted on 15-10-2009

HealthCheckUSA News Alert: How serious is the global threat from Swine Flu?

Category : HealthCheckUSA News

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thyroid test panelSwine flu (H1N1) Symptoms and Self Care

The following information is from the Mayo Clinic.

Swine flu (H1N1): How serious is the global threat?

Question: What’s the real story about swine flu? I’ve heard it called a pandemic, but I’m not sure what that means.

Answer: from James M. Steckelberg, M.D. at the Mayo Clinic

You’re not alone in your confusion about swine flu — specifically, the flu caused by novel swine influenza H1N1 virus, which was identified and designated a global pandemic in spring 2009. Because this is a new flu virus, everyone is vulnerable to infection.

Swine flu is one of the many type A influenza viruses. It’s unusual for humans to catch swine flu, but occasional cases occur, usually in people who have contact with infected pigs. Like other flu viruses, the swine flu virus changes its DNA as it spreads, giving rise to a number of subtypes.

A new vaccine has been developed to protect against H1N1 swine flu. To reduce your risk of catching and spreading the virus:

- Keep tabs on respiratory symptoms. If you or someone in your family develops symptoms suggesting a cold or the flu, avoid crowds, and be alert for persistent or worsening symptoms, particularly a high fever.

- Stay home if you’re sick. If you have swine flu or seasonal flu, don’t go to work, school or public gatherings until you’ve had no fever and taken no fever-reducing medication for 24 hours. Unless your infection is unusually severe, fever and other symptoms should end in three to five days.

- Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently. Flu viruses can survive for two hours or longer on surfaces, such as doorknobs and countertops.

- Be prepared. Ask your health care provider or county health department about immunization and infection-control plans.

Question: Why is swine flu a pandemic? Has H1N1 flu turned out to be much worse than expected?

Answer: from James M. Steckelberg, M.D. at the Mayo Clinic

It’s not actually worse, just — as predicted — widespread. That’s why the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a level 6 influenza pandemic alert — the highest level alert of its kind.

A World Health Organization phase 6 pandemic indicates that influenza due to the novel H1N1 swine flu is occurring in multiple countries around the world and that human infection is widespread. The classification does not reflect the severity of individual infections.

The alert level is also notable because:

- The swine flu H1N1 virus is globally widespread at the community level.

- The chain of person-to-person transmission is no longer clear in some areas, so testing all suspected cases is not feasible.

- The groups most severely affected differ from those who typically develop seasonal flu complications.

- Rates of severe illness and death from novel H1N1 influenza may be unusually high in the developing world.

- The WHO continues to recommend against travel restrictions, quarantines and border closings.

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Popular types of blood and lab tests include: thyroid testing, complete metabolic testing (CMP), complete blood count testing, heart disease testing, cholesterol testing, diabetes testing (HbA1c), prostate cancer testing (PSA), vitamin D testing, vitamin B-12 testing, testing for osteoporosis, iron deficiency testing, testosterone testing to check for Low Testosterone (Low T), erectile dysfunction, estrogen testing for low levels of estrogen, male hormone testing and female hormone testing for hormone imbalances, drug testing, STD testing for herpes, hepatitis A, B and C testing, HIV, Chlamydia, syphilis, and EBV, herpes type 1 and type 2 testing, fertility testing in men, fertility testing in women, infertility testing in men, infertility testing in women, pregnancy testing, blood test for pregnancy, blood test for herpes, blood test for HIV, blood test for thyroid, and many more. Please go to www.HealthCheckUSA.com or call 800-929-7044 for complete details.

Posted by David | Posted on 26-08-2009

HealthCheckUSA Health Alert: Oprah and Bioidentical Hormones FAQs

Category : blood tests

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By Miranda Hitti, WebMD Health News Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Jan. 15, 2009 — Oprah Winfrey says menopause caught her “off guard” and that she’s taking bioidentical hormones that have made a big improvement in how she feels.

Bioidentical hormones are one form of therapy for menopausal symptoms. Winfrey, who turns 55 this month, writes in February’s edition of O, The Oprah Magazine that she felt “out of kilter” and had “issues” for two years that she suspected were hormonal. Upon a friend’s recommendation, Winfrey went to a doctor who specializes in hormones.

Winfrey writes that the hormone specialist told her that her “hormonal tank was empty” and gave her a prescription for bioidentical estrogen.

“After one day on bioidentical estrogen, I felt the veil lift,” Winfrey writes. “After three days, the sky was bluer, my brain was no longer fuzzy, my memory was sharper. I was literally singing and had a skip in my step.”

Winfrey isn’t recommending bioidentical hormones for every menopausal woman. Instead, she urges women to “take charge of your health” and says it’s time to “start the conversation” about menopause and bioidentical hormones.

Oprah writes that bioidentical hormone therapy is controversial and confusing to many people.

What’s the controversy about? Are bioidentical hormones better or safer than other hormone therapy? WebMD has answers from experts.

What Are Bioidentical Hormones?
“There is enormous confusion about the meaning of the term ‘bioidentical,’” JoAnn Manson, MD, DrPH, tells WebMD via email.

“Bioidentical hormone preparations are medications that contain hormones that are an exact chemical match to those made naturally by humans,” says Manson, who is chief of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and the Elizabeth F. Brigham Professor of Women’s Health at Harvard Medical School.

Some bioidentical hormones are made by drug companies, are approved by the FDA, and are sold in standard doses. Other bioidentical hormone preparations are made at special pharmacies called compounding pharmacies, which make the preparations on a case-by-case basis for each patient. Those “custom-made” preparations aren’t approved by the FDA.

Why Aren’t Compounded Bioidentical Hormones FDA approved?
The FDA doesn’t approve any compounded products, for any condition, because those products aren’t standardized.

That doesn’t mean that compounding is bad. Compounding can be useful for patients who are allergic to an additive in an FDA-approved product, says Kathleen Uhl, MD, the FDA’s assistant commissioner for women’s health.

But “the purpose of compounding is to do it on a patient-by-patient basis, so there’s nothing that’s submitted to FDA to evaluate, so they’re not FDA approved,” Uhl explains.

And because compounded products don’t go through the FDA approval process, they don’t bear the same warnings as other hormone therapy.

A woman who gets a prescription for an FDA-approved hormone therapy for menopausal symptoms is “going to get a lot of warning information,” but if she gets a compounded product instead, “you don’t get any of those warnings,” Uhl says. “There’s no requirement for them to provide that because those products are not FDA approved.”

Why Aren’t Compounded Bioidentical Hormones FDA approved? continued…
L.D. King, executive director of the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists, suggests that patients look for accredited compounding pharmacies listed on the web site of the Pharmaceutical Compounding Accreditation Board (PCAB).

“They make sure those accredited pharmacies are adhering to a very high level of practice, which would include pretty extensive quality control,” King tells WebMD. He also suggests that because there aren’t a lot of PCAB-accredited compounding pharmacies, patients should ask compounding pharmacies what types of quality assurance procedures are in place.

Manson points out that with FDA-approved “bioidentical” drugs available, “most women interested in bioidentical formulations do not need to take custom-compounded products (exceptions would be women with allergies to ingredients, or intolerances to doses, in commercially available products).”

Does That Mean Compounded Bioidentical Hormones Are Safer?
“There is no reason to think that these bioidentical compounded [products] would have a different safety profile than the FDA-approved ones,” Uhl says. She points out that some compounded pharmacies have gotten warning letters from the FDA for false and misleading claims about safety and other benefits.

Isaac Schiff, MD, chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Massachusetts General Hospital, agrees.

Schiff led an American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) committee that reviewed the scientific evidence on compounded bioidentical hormone therapy in 2005. That committee concluded that there wasn’t scientific evidence to support claims of increased efficacy or safety for compounded estrogen or progesterone regimens. The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) and the Endocrine Society have issued similar statements.

“It may be safer, but that study hasn’t been done yet,” Schiff tells WebMD. He says he would like to see a large, lengthy, rigorously designed study on the topic.

“I’m not inherently negative about it,” Schiff says. “I hope they’d be good … and if it turns out to be safer, fabulous. I would like, as a physician, to prescribe the safest hormones to my patients who want to be treated.”

Erika Schwartz, MD, a New York doctor who prescribes FDA-approved biodentical hormones and compounded bioidentical hormones, says there have been studies that support the safety of bioidentical hormones, compared to other hormone therapy.

Schwartz asks, “If NAMS or ACOG says there are not enough studies, well, why haven’t you done the studies if you think you need more? If this had been men’s health, would we be having this conversation, or would we have answers?”

Schwartz says she has long wanted to see large, government-sponsored studies compare bioidentical and other hormone therapies head to head.

“She’s allowed to have her opinions,” Uhl says. “The evidence that FDA has seen and what’s available in the medical literature leads us to believe that there are the same concerns” with bioidentical and other hormone therapy for menopausal symptoms.

Uhl adds that “the FDA is not prohibiting the compounding of bioidentical hormones. There is definitely a niche for them and certain patients do need this, but it’s not for everybody, and the people who are taking it need to realize that the risks are probably the same for the FDA-approved drugs as they are for the [compounded] bioidentical.”

Can You Take Bioidentical Hormones Indefinitely?
Hormone therapy has been linked to increased risk of breast cancer, so most health experts recommend that women take the lowest dose for the shortest time, if they need it.

That research wasn’t done on bioidentical hormones. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s safe to take them for a longer time, Schiff says.

“If you have the exact same estrogen as one’s own body makes, it doesn’t mean it’s any safer,” says Schiff.

Schwartz counters that bioidentical hormones are chemically different from the hormone therapy drugs that were linked to health risks, saying “there is no reason to compare recommendations because they’re not the same product.”

Schwartz says she’s been prescribing bioidentical hormones for 14 years and takes them herself, having switched from other hormone therapy years ago. “I feel great and the women I work with feel great,” she says. “I have no complaints.”

Schiff doesn’t dismiss bioidentical hormones. “If I have a patient who says she wants a bioidentical … then I personally would prescribe a hormone like estradiol, which is what her ovaries made, and I would give it to her in a skin patch by one of the drug companies that I know; it has oversight by the FDA and it has the exact dose that I want her to have,” says Schiff, who has no ties to any drug companies. If a patient is already on a bioidentical hormone, “I try to find out exactly what she’s taking and try to make sure that it’s a safe dose and that she could be followed carefully,” Schiff says.

Schwartz says she gives her patients a choice between standardized bioidentical hormones or compounded products made by a lab she has vetted. She stresses the importance of doctors being trained about bioidentical hormones by other physicians who are knowledgeable about bioidenticals. “The physician has to work with the patient and the compounder,” Schwartz says.

Are Saliva and Blood Tests FDA Approved?
Yes, those tests are FDA approved for diagnostic purposes — but not to tailor hormone treatment.

“The tests are not approved for use to measure hormone levels to adjust hormone therapy,” says Uhl, who points out that hormone levels can fluctuate throughout the day.

Schwartz says she doesn’t believe saliva testing is appropriate and only uses blood tests with her patients.

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What About Oprah’s Experience?
“I’m happy that Oprah feels better,” Schiff says. “Every experience is an important experience … but everybody’s individual and they have to work that out with their doctor.”

Some women, Schiff notes, feel better when they start hormone therapy, but he’s not sure if bioidentical hormone therapy would give them an additional boost.

Compounded or not, bioidentical hormones are only part of the picture, Schwartz says.

“A lot of people just want to follow the celebrity,” she says. “Sometimes people come in and what they really need is to address their diet, their exercise, their lifestyle.”

“I think bioidentical hormones are great,” Schwartz says. “But if you don’t address them in the context of the whole person — with her diet, her exercise, her lifestyle, with her relationships, with her stresses — and you don’t work with everything, you’re not really going to be able to come up with the results that women would like to see.”

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HealthCheckUSA has packages that make it simple for consumers to measure, monitor, and improve their health by being able to order their own lab tests without a doctor’s order. HealthCheckUSA serves customers without insurance, have high deductible insurance plans, and taking control of their health because their doctor won’t order the test.

The blood tests available through HealthCheckUSA are the same medically accepted lab tests ordered by doctors for their patients. The blood tests are analyzed by an accredited medical reference laboratory. The results are confidential, and are available by fax to you or your doctor, or by mail to you (please allow 10 working days for mailing). Results are also available on the HealthCheckUSA Web site within 3-4 business days. An information sheet with an explanation of each test, including normal reference ranges, accompanies all results.

Popular types of blood and lab tests include: thyroid testing, complete metabolic testing (CMP), complete blood count testing, heart disease testing, cholesterol testing, diabetes testing (HbA1c), prostate cancer testing (PSA), vitamin D testing, vitamin B-12 testing, testing for osteoporosis, iron deficiency testing, testosterone testing to check for Low Testosterone (Low T), erectile dysfunction, estrogen testing for low levels of estrogen, male hormone testing and female hormone testing for hormone imbalances, drug testing, STD testing for herpes, hepatitis A, B and C testing, HIV, Chlamydia, syphilis, and EBV, herpes type 1 and type 2 testing, fertility testing in men, fertility testing in women, infertility testing in men, infertility testing in women, pregnancy testing, blood test for pregnancy, blood test for herpes, blood test for HIV, blood test for thyroid, and many more. Please go to www.HealthCheckUSA.com or call 800-929-7044 for complete details.

Posted by David | Posted on 26-08-2009

HealthCheckUSA Health Alert: Most Important Lab Tests Women Should Have

Category : blood tests, thyroid screenings, thyroid test

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By Dr. Rwanda Campbell, August 6, 2009

1. A Pap Smear Test examines cells for any changes that may indicate the possibility of cervical cancer. Campbell recommended that the first test be conducted at the age of 20 or at the onset of sexual activity and continued annually until age 65 or 70. She said some insurance companies allow the test annually and others cover the test every three years if test results are normal. Even if the pap smear isn’t performed every year, Campbell said it is important for every woman to have an annual pelvic exam.

2. A cholesterol blood test is important because high cholesterol levels have no symptoms but can be deadly. Excess LDL, or bad cholesterol, can cause build-up in the arteries and interfere with blood flow. HDL, the good cholesterol, has protective qualities and can remove LDL from the blood. Some pediatricians now test cholesterol levels and Campbell said everyone should get a baseline test by the age of 20. The test should be repeated at least every five years until the age of 45. Anyone older than 45 with a family history of heart disease or high cholesterol levels should be screened annually. While medications are available to lower cholesterol levels, the physician said it is better to lower cholesterol through diet modification.

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3. Breast exams are recommended at age 30 and every three years after that while mammograms are recommended annually beginning at age 40. A clinical breast exam checks breast tissue for lumps, thickening or other changes that warrant follow-up. Mammograms are X-rays of the breast tissue that may find cancers when they are still too small to be felt. Breast cancer is most curable if it is found in its earliest stages. Campbell said genetic testing is available to women whose mothers or sisters have had breast cancer.

4. Skin cancer screenings should begin by the age of 30 and be conducted annually thereafter. A primary care provider or dermatologist may do head-to-toe screenings. Skin cancer is the second most common cancer in women and is curable if it is caught early. Women with fair skin, repeated sunburns, many moles and a family history of skin cancer are have the highest risk of developing skin cancer.
5. Thyroid lab tests are needed to make sure the gland is functioning properly. The thyroid gland regulates the way the body uses energy. If the thyroid gland is overactive, it may lead to rapid weight loss and nervousness. If it isn’t up to speed, a person may feel weak, fatigued, generally unwell, depressed and suffer from excessive vaginal bleeding. Early diagnosis can avoid more debilitating conditions like heart disease, high cholesterol and stroke, she said. Screenings should begin at the age of 35 and continue every five years, or more often if the woman experiences thyroid symptoms or has risk factors, such as a family history of thyroid problems. Thyroid problems may be adjusted with medication.

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6. Blood pressure levels are checked every time a person visits a doctor. High blood pressure levels can lead to heart attack, stroke, heart failure and kidney damage. High levels produce no symptoms. Campbell said high blood pressure is often weight related for women. Blood pressure readings should be below 140/90. High blood pressure, or hypertension, may be treated with lifestyle changes and/or medication.

7. Diabetes is a condition in which the body doesn’t make enough insulin or has a reduced response to insulin. It will cause blood sugar levels to be too high and increase the person’s risk of heart disease and stroke. It can also result in birth defects during pregnancy and premature menopause. Screening guidelines call for testing by the age of 45 or sooner if risk factors are present. Campbell recommended screenings before that and for any woman who is overweight.

8. Colonoscopies examine the large intestine for signs of colon cancer, which is 90 percent curable if found early. Growths and polyps may be removed and biopsied during the test. Preparation for the test (a bowel cleansing) is a bigger challenge than the test itself because patients are usually asleep during the procedure, the physician said. The first screening is usually done when the patient turns 50 and is repeated every 10 years if no polyps or risk factors exist. Higher-risk patients, such as those with a family history of colon cancer, should get their first test 10 years before the family member was first diagnosed and every five years after that.

9. Bone-density scans measure the mass of a patient’s bones and assess her risk of developing osteoporosis. Campbell said a broken hip could be a life-changing event; it can mean moving to a nursing home. Weight-bearing exercise, Vitamin D and calcium help build bone mass in younger patients, but medicines may be needed in older patients. Women may lose up to 20 percent of their bone density in the five to seven years after menopause. Campbell recommended women have their first bone-density screenings by age 65 and that they be repeated every five years. Doctors may suggest testing at an earlier age for patients who are underweight, have ever smoked, have a recent history of broken bones or a family member with osteoporosis.

10. Hormone Blood Tests that Assess your menstrual cycle is the last test for women and one that directly affects quality of life for many women. Campbell said she encounters patients who live in fear of having menstrual accidents and who won’t leave home because their flow is too heavy. “That is not normal,” she said. “There are many options available for women today.” Medications and ablation may both reduce the severity and length of periods. Hysterectomies, which used to be the only option, are now considered options of last resort.
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HealthCheckUSA has packages that make it simple for consumers to measure, monitor, and improve their health by being able to order their own lab tests without a doctor’s order. HealthCheckUSA serves customers without insurance, have high deductible insurance plans, and taking control of their health because their doctor won’t order the test.

The blood tests available through HealthCheckUSA are the same medically accepted lab tests ordered by doctors for their patients. The blood tests are analyzed by an accredited medical reference laboratory. The results are confidential, and are available by fax to you or your doctor, or by mail to you (please allow 10 working days for mailing). Results are also available on the HealthCheckUSA Web site within 3-4 business days. An information sheet with an explanation of each test, including normal reference ranges, accompanies all results.

Popular types of blood and lab tests include: thyroid testing, complete metabolic testing (CMP), complete blood count testing, heart disease testing, cholesterol testing, diabetes testing (HbA1c), prostate cancer testing (PSA), vitamin D testing, vitamin B-12 testing, testing for osteoporosis, iron deficiency testing, testosterone testing to check for Low Testosterone (Low T), erectile dysfunction, estrogen testing for low levels of estrogen, male hormone testing and female hormone testing for hormone imbalances, drug testing, STD testing for herpes, hepatitis A, B and C testing, HIV, Chlamydia, syphilis, and EBV, herpes type 1 and type 2 testing, fertility testing in men, fertility testing in women, infertility testing in men, infertility testing in women, pregnancy testing, blood test for pregnancy, blood test for herpes, blood test for HIV, blood test for thyroid, and many more. Please go to www.HealthCheckUSA.com or call 800-929-7044 for complete details.

Posted by David | Posted on 26-08-2009

HealthCheckUSA News Alert: D.C. to Offer STD Tests In Every High School

Category : std testing

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Written By Darryl Fears and Nelson Hernandez, Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, August 5, 2009

D.C. school officials are planning to offer STD lab tests for sexually transmitted diseases to all high school students in the coming school year, expanding a pilot program that uncovered a significant number of infected children.

The program conducted last year at eight high schools found that 13 percent of about 3,000 students tested positive for an STD, mostly gonorrhea or chlamydia, according to the D.C. Department of Health.

The expansion places D.C. public schools in the vanguard of a growing number of urban school districts that test adolescents for STDs. About 12,000 students attend public high schools in the District.

STDs are of particular concern to AIDS activists because they increase the risk of contracting HIV. The testing program was hailed in a report being released Wednesday by the D.C. Appleseed Center for Law and Justice as a positive step in the city’s effort to arrest its growing AIDS rate, which is the highest in the nation and is considered an epidemic. Half of the city’s cases of chlamydia and gonorrhea are among adolescents.

The program, which has been discussed by the D.C. school board, requires students to attend a lecture about STDs, but they can opt out of providing a urine sample for the test. All 50 states and the District allow minors older than 12 to be screened for STDs without parental consent.

“The program tells us that a lot of students in the public school system are engaging in unsafe sex,” said Walter Smith, executive director of D.C. Appleseed, which advocates for more AIDS outreach and education in the schools. “If 13 percent of these students are testing positive for STDs, those same kids could get HIV. A lot needs to be done to get the message out to the schools . . . and this very high STD rate is an indication that what we’ve been doing is not effective.”

In a 2007 study by the D.C. public school system, 60 percent of high school students and 30 percent of middle school students reported having had intercourse. Twenty percent of the high school students said they had had sex with four or more partners, and 12 percent of the middle school students said they had had three or more partners.

The D.C. schools first offered the tests two years ago at two charter schools. Health department workers presented a lecture on STDs to groups of 20 to 30 students in grades 9 through 12; none of the students was younger than 15. After the lecture, students were invited to submit urine samples for chlamydia and gonorrhea testing at a health department laboratory.

Of 987 students who attended the lectures, 68 percent submitted urine specimens, according to a report. Of those students, 9 percent tested positive for at least one STD.

Test results were provided confidentially by telephone, and the city paid for treatment at the school or an STD clinic. Students who decided to be treated by a family physician were responsible for their own payments. Students were counseled about STDs and HIV prevention, were given notification cards to inform partners of the positive diagnosis and were encouraged to share the results with their parents.

In the past school year, the program was modified and expanded to eight high schools: Ballou, Banneker, Anacostia and Dunbar high schools, Moore Academy and Choice Academy, and two charter schools, Rock Creek Academy and High Road Academy. In those schools, a 45-minute lecture was given, followed by a question-and-answer period, officials said.

Chad Ferguson, deputy chief of youth engagement for the D.C. schools, said the tests are administered by taking groups of 15 to 20 students at a time to the restroom area. The students are given paper bags containing urine collection cups and enter bathroom stalls. Once they get in the stalls, they can choose whether or not to provide urine samples. All the students return the paper bags, so other students do not necessarily know who did or did not provide a sample. Students provide a password and then call in a week later to get their result and treatment, if necessary.

The D.C. STD testing program is a near copy of a Philadelphia program that began in 2002. In the 2004-05 school year, 30,000 students in 53 high schools attended presentations, and 16,000 submitted specimens for testing, according to a report by the Philadelphia Department of Health. More than 4 percent tested positive for chlamydia, gonorrhea or both.

School systems in New York, Chicago, New Orleans and Baltimore, among others, either perform screening for sexually transmitted diseases or are preparing to begin pilot programs. In Baltimore, no parental consent is required. In New York, parents can elect to not have their child tested. In New Orleans, a parent must give consent for a child to take the test.

“We have Third World statistics in terms of our HIV issues, and from the HIV perspective, we do need to find a way to identify students so that we can help them,” said William Lockridge, a member of the State Board of Education representing Ward 8.

But he said parents need to be involved. “Right now, if you play sports in a public school, you have to get permission from your parents. If you take a field trip, you have to get permission from your parents. Why would it be any less for this? . . . Only if the parent gives the consent upfront would I do this.”

D.C. Council member David A. Catania (I-At Large) offered a different viewpoint. “This isn’t necessarily intended to comfort adults,” said Catania, who chairs the health committee. “I don’t think you turn a blind eye and pretend these problems don’t exist.”

Catania said he has not heard much community opposition to the testing. “In this regard, I find our population to be extremely secure,” he said. “I’m not condoning this behavior. I don’t think young people are equipped for the consequences of engaging in sex, but the fact is that they do.”

Chlamydia is the most commonly reported disease in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 1.1 million new cases were reported in 2007, up from 1 million the previous year.

Because the condition is mainly asymptomatic, most cases of chlamydia go undiagnosed. The CDC estimates that there are actually about 2.8 million new cases of chlamydia in the country each year, indicating that more than 1 million are undiagnosed. Symptoms include an inflamed pelvis and chronic pelvic pain, similar to symptoms for gonorrhea.

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    • HealthCheckUSA is the nation’s leader in low cost, direct-to-consumer blood and lab testing and provides people the ability to access all types of blood, urine and saliva tests without a physician’s referral and at half the price. HealthCheckUSA has packages that make it simple for consumers to measure, monitor, and improve their health by being able to order their own lab tests without a doctor’s order. HealthCheckUSA serves customers without insurance, have high deductible insurance plans, and taking control of their health because their doctor won’t order the test.

    HealthCheckUSA has packages that make it simple for consumers to measure, monitor, and improve their health by being able to order their own lab tests without a doctor’s order. HealthCheckUSA serves customers without insurance, have high deductible insurance plans, and taking control of their health because their doctor won’t order the test.

    The blood tests available through HealthCheckUSA are the same medically accepted lab tests ordered by doctors for their patients. The blood tests are analyzed by an accredited medical reference laboratory. The results are confidential, and are available by fax to you or your doctor, or by mail to you (please allow 10 working days for mailing). Results are also available on the HealthCheckUSA Web site within 3-4 business days. An information sheet with an explanation of each test, including normal reference ranges, accompanies all results.

    Popular types of blood and lab tests include: thyroid testing, complete metabolic testing (CMP), complete blood count testing, heart disease testing, cholesterol testing, diabetes testing (HbA1c), prostate cancer testing (PSA), vitamin D testing, vitamin B-12 testing, testing for osteoporosis, iron deficiency testing, testosterone testing to check for Low Testosterone (Low T), erectile dysfunction, estrogen testing for low levels of estrogen, male hormone testing and female hormone testing for hormone imbalances, drug testing, STD testing for herpes, hepatitis A, B and C testing, HIV, Chlamydia, syphilis, and EBV, herpes type 1 and type 2 testing, fertility testing in men, fertility testing in women, infertility testing in men, infertility testing in women, pregnancy testing, blood test for pregnancy, blood test for herpes, blood test for HIV, blood test for thyroid, and many more. Please go to www.HealthCheckUSA.com or call 800-929-7044 for complete details.

    Posted by David | Posted on 25-08-2009

    HealthCheckUSA STD Alert: STDs and Common Symptoms

    Category : std testing

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    STD Testing Recommendations: 7 STDs and Common Symptoms

    By Mayo Clinic staff

    If you’re having sex, you may also be experiencing STD symptoms. STD symptoms can occur regardless of what type of sex — vaginal, oral or anal — you’re having, or whether you use condoms. Although condoms when correctly and consistently used are highly effective for reducing transmission of STDs, no method (other than abstinence) is 100 percent effective. This is particularly true with certain STDs, such as genital warts and genital herpes.

    STD symptoms can range from subtle to obvious. If you think you’re experiencing STD symptoms, see a doctor to get tested for STDs. Some STD symptoms can be treated easily and eliminated. Other STD symptoms require more involved and long-term treatment.

    Either way, it’s essential to be STD tested via blood or urine, and — if diagnosed with an STD — be treated. It’s also essential to inform any partners so that they can be evaluated and treated. If untreated, STDs can increase your risk of acquiring another STD such as HIV. This happens because an STD can stimulate an immune response in the genital area or cause sores, either of which might make HIV transmission more likely. Some untreated STDs can also lead to infertility.

    Common STDs and their Symptoms

    Chlamydia
    Chlamydia is a bacterial infection of your genital tract. Chlamydia may be difficult for you to detect because early-stage infections often cause few or no signs and symptoms. When they do occur, they usually start one to three weeks after you’ve been exposed to Chlamydia. Even when signs and symptoms do occur, they’re often mild and passing, making them easy to overlook.

    Signs and symptoms may include:
    • Painful urination
    • Lower abdominal pain
    • Vaginal discharge in women
    • Discharge from the penis in men
    • Painful sexual intercourse in women
    • Testicular pain in men

  • Chlamydia Antibody STD Test

    • Gonorrhea
    Gonorrhea is a bacterial infection of your genital tract. The first gonorrhea symptoms generally appear within two to 10 days after exposure. However, some people may be infected for months before signs or symptoms occur. Signs and symptoms of gonorrhea may include:
    • Thick, cloudy or bloody discharge from the penis or vagina
    • Pain or burning sensation when urinating
    • Frequent urination
    • Pain during sexual intercourse

    HIV
    HIV is an infection with the human immunodeficiency virus. HIV interferes with your body’s ability to effectively fight off viruses, bacteria and fungi that cause disease, and it can lead to AIDS, a chronic, life-threatening disease.

    When first infected with HIV, you may have no symptoms at all. Some people develop a flu-like illness, usually two to six weeks after being infected. Early HIV symptoms may include:
    • Fever
    • Headache
    • Fatigue
    • Swollen lymph glands
    • Rash

    These early symptoms usually disappear within a week to a month and are often mistaken for those of another viral infection. During this period, you are very infectious. More persistent or severe symptoms of HIV infection may not appear for 10 years or more after the initial infection.

    As the virus continues to multiply and destroy immune cells, you may develop mild infections or chronic symptoms such as:
    • Swollen lymph nodes — often one of the first signs of HIV infection
    • Diarrhea
    • Weight loss
    • Fever
    • Cough and shortness of breath

    Signs and symptoms of later stage HIV infection include:
    • Persistent, unexplained fatigue
    • Soaking night sweats
    • Shaking chills or fever higher than 100 F (38 C) for several weeks
    • Swelling of lymph nodes for more than three months
    • Chronic diarrhea
    • Persistent headaches

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    • Genital herpes
    Genital herpes is highly contagious and caused by a type of the herpes simplex virus (HSV). HSV enters your body through small breaks in your skin or mucous membranes. Most people with HSV never know they have it, because they have no signs or symptoms. The signs and symptoms of HSV can be so mild they go unnoticed. When signs and symptoms are noticeable, the first episode is generally the worst. Some people never experience a second episode. Other people, however, can experience episodes over a period of decades.

    When present, genital herpes symptoms may include:
    • Small, red bumps, blisters (vesicles) or open sores (ulcers) in the genital, anal and nearby areas
    • Pain or itching around your genital area, buttocks or inner thighs

    The initial symptom of genital herpes usually is pain or itching, beginning within a few weeks after exposure to an infected sexual partner. After several days, small, red bumps may appear. They then rupture, becoming ulcers that ooze or bleed. Eventually, scabs form and the ulcers heal.

    In women, sores can erupt in the vaginal area, external genitals, buttocks, anus or cervix. In men, sores can appear on the penis, scrotum, buttocks, anus or thighs, or inside the urethra, the tube from the bladder through the penis.

    While you have ulcers, it may be painful to urinate. You may also experience pain and tenderness in your genital area until the infection clears. During an initial episode, you may have flu-like signs and symptoms, such as headache, muscle aches and fever, as well as swollen lymph nodes in your groin.
    In some cases, the infection can be active and contagious even when sores aren’t present.

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    • Genital warts (HPV infection)
    Genital warts, caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), are one of the most common types of STDs. The signs and symptoms of genital warts include:
    • Small, flesh-colored or gray swellings in your genital area
    • Several warts close together that take on a cauliflower shape
    • Itching or discomfort in your genital area
    • Bleeding with intercourse
    Often, however, genital warts cause no symptoms. Genital warts may be as small as 1 millimeter in diameter or may multiply into large clusters.
    In women, genital warts can grow on the vulva, the walls of the vagina, the area between the external genitals and the anus, and the cervix. In men, they may occur on the tip or shaft of the penis, the scrotum or the anus. Genital warts can also develop in the mouth or throat of a person who has had oral sex with an infected person.

    Hepatitis
    Hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C are all contagious viral infections that affect your liver. Hepatitis B and C are the most serious of the three, but each can cause your liver to become inflamed.

    Some people never develop signs or symptoms. But for those who do, symptoms may occur after several weeks and may include:
    • Fatigue
    • Nausea and vomiting
    • Abdominal pain or discomfort, especially in the area of your liver on your right side beneath your lower ribs
    • Loss of appetite
    • Fever
    • Dark urine
    • Muscle or joint pain
    • Itching
    • Yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice)

  • Hepatitis STD Panel (A, B and C)

    • Syphilis
    Syphilis is a bacterial infection. The disease affects your genitals, skin and mucous membranes, but it may also involve many other parts of your body, including your brain and your heart.

    The signs and symptoms of syphilis may occur in four stages — primary, secondary, latent and tertiary.

    Primary
    These signs may occur from 10 days to three months after exposure:
    • A small, painless sore (chancre) on the part of your body where the infection was transmitted, usually your genitals, rectum, tongue or lips. A single chancre is typical, but there may be multiple sores.
    • Enlarged lymph nodes.
    Signs and symptoms of primary syphilis typically disappear without treatment, but the underlying disease remains and may reappear in the secondary or third (tertiary) stage.

    Secondary
    The signs and symptoms of secondary syphilis may begin two to 10 weeks after the chancre appears, and may include:
    • Rash marked by red or reddish-brown, penny-sized sores over any area of your body, including your palms and soles
    • Fever
    • Fatigue and a vague feeling of discomfort
    • Soreness and aching
    These signs and symptoms may disappear within a few weeks or repeatedly come and go for as long as a year.

    Latent
    In some people, a period called latent syphilis — in which no symptoms are present — may follow the secondary stage. Signs and symptoms may never return, or the disease may progress to the tertiary stage.

    Tertiary
    Without treatment, syphilis bacteria may spread, leading to serious internal organ damage and death years after the original infection.
    Some of the signs and symptoms of tertiary syphilis include:
    • Neurological problems. These may include stroke and infection and inflammation of the membranes and fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord (meningitis). Other problems may include poor muscle coordination, numbness, paralysis, deafness or visual problems. Personality changes and dementia also are possible.
    • Cardiovascular problems. These may include bulging (aneurysm) and inflammation of the aorta — your body’s major artery — and of other blood vessels. Syphilis may also cause valvular heart disease, such as aortic valve problems.
    If you suspect you have an STD, see your doctor.

    If you suspect you have these or other STDs or that you may have been exposed to one, see your doctor for STD testing. Timely diagnosis and treatment are important to avoid or delay more severe, potentially life-threatening health problems and to avoid infecting others.

  • Syphilis (RPR) STD Lab Test

    • HealthCheckUSA offers many STD lab tests that are affordable and do not require a doctor’s prescription. We have over 5,000 lab locations throughout the United States.

    Recommended STD Lab Tests

  • HerpeSelect Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and 2 IgG Blood Test
  • Hepatitis STD Panel (A, B and C)
  • Chlamydia Antibody STD Test
  • Syphilis (RPR) STD Lab Test
  • Comprehensive Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Panel
  • Basic Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Panel
    • HealthCheckUSA is the nation’s leader in low cost, direct-to-consumer blood and lab testing and provides people the ability to access all types of blood, urine and saliva tests without a physician’s referral and at half the price. HealthCheckUSA has packages that make it simple for consumers to measure, monitor, and improve their health by being able to order their own lab tests without a doctor’s order. HealthCheckUSA serves customers without insurance, have high deductible insurance plans, and taking control of their health because their doctor won’t order the test.

    HealthCheckUSA has packages that make it simple for consumers to measure, monitor, and improve their health by being able to order their own lab tests without a doctor’s order. HealthCheckUSA serves customers without insurance, have high deductible insurance plans, and taking control of their health because their doctor won’t order the test.

    The blood tests available through HealthCheckUSA are the same medically accepted lab tests ordered by doctors for their patients. The blood tests are analyzed by an accredited medical reference laboratory. The results are confidential, and are available by fax to you or your doctor, or by mail to you (please allow 10 working days for mailing). Results are also available on the HealthCheckUSA Web site within 3-4 business days. An information sheet with an explanation of each test, including normal reference ranges, accompanies all results.

    Popular types of blood and lab tests include: thyroid testing, complete metabolic testing (CMP), complete blood count testing, heart disease testing, cholesterol testing, diabetes testing (HbA1c), prostate cancer testing (PSA), vitamin D testing, vitamin B-12 testing, testing for osteoporosis, iron deficiency testing, testosterone testing to check for Low Testosterone (Low T), erectile dysfunction, estrogen testing for low levels of estrogen, male hormone testing and female hormone testing for hormone imbalances, drug testing, STD testing for herpes, hepatitis A, B and C testing, HIV, Chlamydia, syphilis, and EBV, herpes type 1 and type 2 testing, fertility testing in men, fertility testing in women, infertility testing in men, infertility testing in women, pregnancy testing, blood test for pregnancy, blood test for herpes, blood test for HIV, blood test for thyroid, and many more. Please go to www.HealthCheckUSA.com or call 800-929-7044 for complete details.

    Posted by David | Posted on 19-08-2009

    HealthCheckUSA Health Alert: STD Testing Recommendations

    Category : Blood Testing, std testing

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    STD Testing Recommendations: Part 1

    By Mayo Clinic staff , Mary Gallenberg, M.D.

    STD testing: What to know before your appointment
    Not all doctors perform the same lab tests for sexually transmitted diseases, known as STD testing. Learn which STD lab tests you may need, which you might have to ask for and the limitations of STD testing.

    If you’re sexually active, particularly with multiple partners, you’ve probably heard the following advice many times — use protection and make sure you and your partners receive routine STD testing. But what’s included in routine STD testing? Not all doctors test for the same STDs. And some STDs — some of which can’t be fully prevented by condom use — can’t be tested for. So even if you ask your doctor to test you for everything, this doesn’t mean that you or your partner will be screened for or clear of all STDs.

    The only way to fully protect yourself against STDs is to abstain from sex. However, if you’ve decided to be sexually active, routine STD testing is important to managing your health. Mary Gallenberg, M.D., a specialist in obstetrics and gynecology at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., helps clarify what kinds of STD tests are important and how to ensure you get them.

    If you’re sexually active, what routine STD lab tests are most important?

    STD Lab Testing For Women:
    At a minimum, get a Pap smear — a simple procedure that collects cells from your cervix to test for cancer or precancerous changes. This type of cancer can arise as a result of a human papillomavirus (HPV) infection — a common STD. Pap smears are recommended for women who are age 21 and older or no later than three years after a woman’s first intercourse. If you’re a woman between age 30 and 69, you may only need a Pap smear every two to three years if you’ve had three normal Pap smears in a row and have had no new sexual partners.

    STD Lab Testing For Men:
    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines don’t suggest routine STD screening if you don’t have any symptoms, unless your sexual practices include having sex with men.

    If you are a man who has sex with men, annual screening for HIV, syphilis, Chlamydia and gonorrhea is recommended. HIV and syphilis can be life-threatening if untreated, and Chlamydia and gonorrhea can put you at greater risk of acquiring HIV and other STDs.

    STD Lab Testing For Men and Women:
    Also see your doctor for STD testing if you have any signs such as genital sores, including fluid-filled blisters, ulcerations or warts, or if you have unusual discharge from your penis or vagina. If you’re a woman, abdominal pain or fever along with unusual discharge may indicate pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) — an STD-related condition that can cause infertility.

    The CDC also encourages voluntary HIV testing, at least once, as a routine part of medical care if you are an adolescent or adult between the ages of 13 to 64. The CDC advises yearly HIV testing if you are at high risk of infection, for example if you’ve had unprotected sex with more than one sexual partner since your last screening.

    What other STD testing do you recommend?
    First, don’t assume that during an annual exam or Pap smear that you’re also receiving STD testing. This may not be the case. If you think you need STD testing, you must request it from your doctor. Talk to your doctor about your concerns and what tests you’d like or need.

    Gonorrhea and Chlamydia STD Testing
    If you are a sexually active girl or woman under age 24, or a woman older than 24 and at risk of STDs — for example you are having sex with a new partner or multiple partners — get screened annually for gonorrhea and Chlamydia. If untreated, these infections can cause PID in women. Gonorrhea and Chlamydia can also significantly increase your risk of acquiring other STDs like HIV. If you are a man who has sex with men, get tested for these infections at least annually.
    Gonorrhea and Chlamydia screening is either done through a urine test or through a swab inside the penis in men or from the inside of the cervix in women. The sample is then analyzed in a laboratory. Screening is important, because you can be unaware that you have either infection. For example, approximately 80 percent of women and 50 percent of men diagnosed with Chlamydia don’t have symptoms at the time of diagnosis.

    Syphilis, hepatitis and HIV STD Testing
    If you test positive for gonorrhea or Chlamydia, you’re at greater risk of other STDs such as syphilis, HIV and hepatitis and should get tested for these infections.

    In addition, request HIV, syphilis and hepatitis testing if you:
    • Have had more than one sexual partner since your last screening
    • Use IV drugs
    • Are a man who has sex with men
    • Are concerned you’ve been exposed

    Your doctor tests you for syphilis by taking either a blood sample or a swab from any genital sores you might have. The sample is examined in a laboratory. A blood sample is taken to test for HIV and hepatitis A and B.

    It’s possible that you may test negative for syphilis or HIV if you’ve only just recently acquired the infection. If you or your doctor suspects this is the case, you may need to be rescreened at a later date. Talk with your doctor if you have concerns about this.
    Consider vaccination for hepatitis A and B. You can prevent these infections by receiving the vaccines.

    What about other common STDs like genital herpes and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection?

    Genital herpes and STD Testing
    Unfortunately, no good screening STD test exists for herpes, a viral infection that can be transmitted even when a person doesn’t have symptoms. Your doctor may take a tissue scraping or culture of blisters or early ulcers, if you have them, for examination in a laboratory. But a negative test doesn’t rule out herpes as a cause for genital ulcerations.

    A blood test may also help detect a herpes infection, but, again, results aren’t always conclusive, particularly if you’re not experiencing signs and symptoms of an active stage. Some blood tests don’t distinguish between types 1 and 2 of the herpes virus. Type 1 is the virus that more typically causes cold sores, although it can also cause genital sores. Type 2 is the virus that more typically causes genital sores. You may ask for a “type-specific” IgG blood test, which differentiates between the two, measuring antibodies to the viruses in your blood. Still, the results may not be totally clear, depending on the sensitivity of the test and the stage of the infection. False-positive and false-negative results are possible.

    HPV STD Testing
    HPV, an infection that can be transmitted even when a person doesn’t have symptoms, is a condition contracted from one of a group of more than 100 related human papillomaviruses (HPVs). Some of the viruses cause cervical cancer, others cause genital warts. Some never cause any problems. At least 50 percent of sexually active men and women will acquire an HPV infection within their lives, and that number jumps to 80 percent of women by age 50.

    Being infected with certain types of HPV is the most important risk factor for developing cervical cancer. Women over age 30 may choose to receive a Pap test (to test for cervical cancer) every three years along with a human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA test. The HPV test is collected with a brushing from the cervical canal. Women with both a negative Pap test and a negative HPV DNA test are at low risk of developing significant precancerous changes of the cervix over the next three years. The combination of Pap smear and HPV DNA testing is not Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for screening women younger than 30 because HPV infections that will ultimately clear up on their own are more common in this age group, and a positive test result may lead to unnecessary additional testing and treatment.

    The HPV DNA test can test for both low-risk types of HPV, which may cause genital warts, and high-risk types that may cause cervical cancer. Your doctor may recommend testing only for the high-risk types because of their threat to your health. Since no treatments exist for HPV itself — although treatments do exist for genital wart outbreaks caused by HPV — paying for a test to find the low-risk types may be of little use to you.

    No HPV test is available for men with the exception of visual inspection or biopsy of genital warts if they are present.
    Girls and women ages 9 to 26 can help prevent HPV infection by receiving the HPV vaccine. This vaccine protects against the two strains that cause 70 percent of cervical cancers and the two strains that cause 90 percent of genital warts.
    STD testing: What to know before your appointment

    Are all STD tests always done?
    No, as mentioned earlier, men should receive STD testing if they have symptoms, have sex with other men, or if a partner tests positive for an STD. In women, HIV, syphilis and hepatitis testing may be done if other STDs are present. Testing for herpes is only usually done if symptoms are present. And HPV testing isn’t available for men, and only sometimes done for women older than 30.
    Ask to be tested for other STDs if you’re concerned. Some tests may be expensive and your insurance may not cover them.

    What STD tests are commonly covered by insurance?
    Insurance companies differ in what services are covered. Check with your insurer, and if STD testing isn’t covered and you can’t afford to pay, consider testing through HealthCheckUSA. HealthCheckUSA provides affordable STD lab testing that is totally anonymous, confidential and convenient. HealthCheckUSA has over 5,000 locations nationwide for STD Lab Testing Services.

    What do you suggest to someone considering having sex with a new partner or who may be at risk of an STD?
    If you can’t trust a partner not to give you an STD, you may not want to have sex with that person. You can ask them to be tested for gonorrhea, Chlamydia, HIV, syphilis and hepatitis, but negative tests for these may mean the infection is just in too early of a stage to detect. Also, there are no good screening tests for herpes, and HPV testing is limited — men can’t be tested unless they have visible warts, and HPV testing generally isn’t recommended for women younger than 30.

    If you decide to have sex, use condoms. Condoms help protect you against life-threatening infections like HIV. However, condoms don’t fully protect you against every STD. For example, condoms may not cover all of the skin that might contain an HPV or herpes virus, so the condoms may reduce, but not eliminate, the chance of such a virus being transmitted to you. In fact, you can be exposed to these viruses through genital to genital or mouth to genital contact, not just through intercourse.

    If you have sex, you put yourself at some risk even with the most thorough STD testing and condom use, and you have to accept that risk.

    If a person tests positive for an STD, what’s the next step?
    If you test positive for an STD, the next step is to consider further testing and then to get treatment as recommended by your doctor. In addition, inform any partners. Your partners need to be evaluated and treated, because you can pass some infections back and forth.

    Expect to feel various emotions. You may feel ashamed, angry or afraid. These are all normal feelings. Some STDs are very common so you aren’t alone. You’ve done the right thing by getting tested and you can now discuss treatment and how this might affect current or future relationships. Talk with your doctor about your concerns.

    HealthCheckUSA offers many STD lab tests that are affordable and do not require a doctor’s prescription. We have over 5,000 lab locations throughout the United States.

    Recommended STD Lab Tests

  • HerpeSelect Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and 2 IgG Blood Test
  • Hepatitis STD Panel (A, B and C)
  • Chlamydia Antibody STD Test
  • Syphilis (RPR) STD Lab Test
  • Comprehensive Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Panel
  • Basic Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Panel
    • HealthCheckUSA is the nation’s leader in low cost, direct-to-consumer blood and lab testing and provides people the ability to access all types of blood, urine and saliva tests without a physician’s referral and at half the price. HealthCheckUSA has packages that make it simple for consumers to measure, monitor, and improve their health by being able to order their own lab tests without a doctor’s order. HealthCheckUSA serves customers without insurance, have high deductible insurance plans, and taking control of their health because their doctor won’t order the test.

    HealthCheckUSA has packages that make it simple for consumers to measure, monitor, and improve their health by being able to order their own lab tests without a doctor’s order. HealthCheckUSA serves customers without insurance, have high deductible insurance plans, and taking control of their health because their doctor won’t order the test.

    The blood tests available through HealthCheckUSA are the same medically accepted lab tests ordered by doctors for their patients. The blood tests are analyzed by an accredited medical reference laboratory. The results are confidential, and are available by fax to you or your doctor, or by mail to you (please allow 10 working days for mailing). Results are also available on the HealthCheckUSA Web site within 3-4 business days. An information sheet with an explanation of each test, including normal reference ranges, accompanies all results.

    Popular types of blood and lab tests include: thyroid testing, complete metabolic testing (CMP), complete blood count testing, heart disease testing, cholesterol testing, diabetes testing (HbA1c), prostate cancer testing (PSA), vitamin D testing, vitamin B-12 testing, testing for osteoporosis, iron deficiency testing, testosterone testing to check for Low Testosterone (Low T), erectile dysfunction, estrogen testing for low levels of estrogen, male hormone testing and female hormone testing for hormone imbalances, drug testing, STD testing for herpes, hepatitis A, B and C testing, HIV, Chlamydia, syphilis, and EBV, herpes type 1 and type 2 testing, fertility testing in men, fertility testing in women, infertility testing in men, infertility testing in women, pregnancy testing, blood test for pregnancy, blood test for herpes, blood test for HIV, blood test for thyroid, and many more. Please go to www.HealthCheckUSA.com or call 800-929-7044 for complete details.

    Posted by David | Posted on 31-07-2009

    HealthCheckUSA Medical Information: Cholesterol Blood Test

    Category : blood tests, heart disease test

    Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


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    Re-printed by from MayoClinic.com; main article written by the Mayo Clinic staff

    Definition of a Cholesterol Blood Test
    A complete cholesterol blood test — also called a lipid panel or lipid profile — is a group of blood tests that can measure the amount of cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood. A cholesterol blood test can help determine your risk of atherosclerosis, the buildup of plaques in your arteries that can lead to narrowed or blocked arteries throughout your body. If your cholesterol levels are high, you probably won’t have any signs or symptoms, so a cholesterol blood test is an important tool. High cholesterol levels are a significant risk factor for heart disease.

    Why a Cholesterol Blood Test is Done
    Cholesterol and triglycerides are substances that naturally circulate in your blood. Although these substances are necessary for your body to function normally, too much fat in your blood increases your risk of heart disease, a stroke, or narrowed arteries in your arms or legs (peripheral artery disease).

    What’s Measured in a Cholesterol Blood Test?
    A complete cholesterol blood test, referred to as a lipid panel or lipid profile, includes the measurement of four types of fats (lipids) in your blood:

    • Total cholesterol. This is a sum of your blood’s cholesterol content.
    • High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. This is sometimes called the “good” cholesterol because it helps carry away LDL cholesterol, thus keeping arteries open and your blood flowing more freely.
    • Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. This is sometimes called the “bad” cholesterol. Too much of it in your blood causes the buildup of fatty deposits (plaques) in your arteries (atherosclerosis), which reduces blood flow. These plaques sometimes rupture and can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
    • Triglycerides. Triglycerides are a type of fat in the blood. When you eat, your body converts any calories it doesn’t need to use right away into triglycerides, which are stored in fat cells. High triglyceride levels usually mean you regularly eat more calories than you burn. High levels are also seen in overweight people, in those consuming too many sweets or too much alcohol, and in people with diabetes who have elevated blood sugar levels.

    Who should get a cholesterol test?
    All adults age 20 or older should have a cholesterol test once every five years. Ideally, you should begin having your cholesterol checked in your early twenties. You should have your cholesterol measured when you’re relatively healthy. An acute illness, a heart attack or severe stress can affect cholesterol levels.

    Cholesterol blood testing is very important if you:

    • Have a family history of high cholesterol or heart disease
    • Are overweight
    • Are physically inactive
    • Have diabetes
    • Eat a high-fat diet

    These factors put you at increased risk of developing high cholesterol and heart disease.

    If you have high cholesterol levels, your doctor may want you to get your blood tested more often. Discuss with your doctor how often you should have a cholesterol blood test if your cholesterol levels are abnormal.

    Cholesterol is often high during pregnancy, so pregnant women should wait at least six weeks after giving birth to have their cholesterol measured.

    Children and Cholesterol Blood Testing
    Children as young as age 2 can have high cholesterol, but not all children need to be screened for high cholesterol. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a cholesterol blood test only for children between the ages of 2 and 10 who have a known family history of high cholesterol or premature coronary artery disease. Your child’s doctor may recommend retesting if your child’s first test shows he or she has normal cholesterol levels.

    The American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends testing if the child’s family history for high cholesterol is unknown, but the child has risk factors for high cholesterol, such as obesity, high blood pressure or diabetes.

    Risks of getting a Cholesterol Blood Test
    There’s little risk in getting a cholesterol blood test. You may have some soreness or tenderness around the site where your blood is drawn, or the site may become infected.

    How you prepare for your Cholesterol Blood Test
    You should fast (no food or liquids other than water) for nine to 12 hours before the test. You can drink water in the time leading up to the blood test, but avoid coffee, tea and other beverages.

    Talk to your doctor about any other special requirements. Some medications, such as birth control pills, can increase your cholesterol levels. For this reason, if you take these or other medications, your doctor might want you to stop taking them for a few days before your cholesterol blood test.

    What you can expect from your Cholesterol Blood Test
    During the procedure
    A cholesterol test is a blood test, usually done in the morning since you’ll need to fast for the most accurate results. Blood is drawn from a vein, usually from your arm. Before the needle is inserted, the puncture site is cleaned with antiseptic and an elastic band is wrapped around your upper arm. This causes the veins in your arm to fill with blood.

    After the needle is inserted, a small amount of blood is collected into a vial or syringe. The band is then removed to restore circulation, and blood continues to flow into the vial. Once enough blood is collected, the needle is removed and the puncture site is covered with a pressure wrap.

    The entire procedure will likely last a couple of minutes. It’s relatively painless.

    After the procedure
    There are no special precautions you need to take after your cholesterol blood test. You should be able to drive yourself home and do all your normal activities. You may want to bring a snack to eat after your cholesterol test is done, if you’ve been fasting.

    It may take a few days for you to get your results back. Your doctor should explain to you what the results of your test mean. It’s likely your doctor will want to retest you in several weeks or months if your test shows your cholesterol levels are high. Before starting any treatment based only on an abnormal cholesterol test, it’s common to get several tests done over a period of time to ensure an accurate diagnosis.

    Cholesterol Blood Test Results
    In the United States, cholesterol levels are measured in milligrams (mg) of cholesterol per deciliter (dL) of blood. In Canada and many European countries, cholesterol levels are measured in millimoles per liter (mmol/L).

    The four main categories — total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides — are what are most commonly measured during a cholesterol blood test. Still, many doctors have begun examining other substances in the blood. Tests of these other substances in the blood are often done on the same sample of blood taken during a cholesterol test and meant to complement, not replace, a standard lipid blood panel or lipid blood profile cholesterol blood test.

    If your results show that your cholesterol level is high, don’t get discouraged. You may be able to lower your cholesterol with lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking, exercising and eating a healthy diet. If lifestyle changes aren’t enough, cholesterol-lowering medications also may help. Talk to your doctor about the best way for you to lower your cholesterol.

    Women and cholesterol test results
    The hormone estrogen tends to cause women to have higher levels of HDL, “good,” cholesterol but also higher levels of triglycerides. If you have higher levels of triglycerides than normal, talk to your doctor. Many women who are at risk of heart disease and have high cholesterol or triglyceride levels may benefit from cholesterol-lowering medications.

    Get your Cholesterol levels tested at HealthCheckUSA

    The Super Chemistry Blood Testing Panel from HealthCheckUSA is a baseline health assessment that focuses on prevention and identifying any health risk factors related to Cholesterol, Heart Disease, risk of heart attack, risk of stroke, liver function, kidney function, plus many more. Due to the popularity of the Blood Testing Panel, HealthCheckUSA is able to provide it at a significant discount versus purchasing these lab tests from your doctor.

    Super Chemistry Blood Testing Panel
    Total Cholesterol, HDL (Good), LDL (bad), rations, triglycerides, Glucose, Kidney, Liver & Heart functions, Electrolytes, Protein, Iron (anemia), Complete Blood Count (CBC). Total of 40 Blood Tests through HealthCheckUSA. Low Cost Blood Testing Made Easy by HealthCheckUSA.com.

    More Comprehensive Blood Testing Options

    Super Chemistry plus Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) Blood Testing Panel
    Prostate Cancer Blood Test (PSA) plus Super Chemistry which includes Total Cholesterol, HDL (Good), LDL (bad), rations, triglycerides, Glucose, Kidney, Liver & Heart functions, Electrolytes, Protein, Iron (anemia), Complete Blood Count (CBC). Low Cost Blood Testing Made Easy by HealthCheckUSA.com.

    Super Chemistry plus Thyroid Panel Blood Testing Panel
    Thyroid Panel (T3 Uptake, T4 Total and TSH) plus Super Chemistry which includes Total Cholesterol, HDL (Good), LDL (bad), rations, triglycerides, Glucose, Kidney, Liver & Heart functions, Electrolytes, Protein, Iron (anemia), Complete Blood Count (CBC). Low Cost Blood Testing Made Easy by HealthCheckUSA.com.

    Men’s Blood Testing Panel
    PSA, Diabetes Management Test (HbA1c), Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC), Testosterone Total plus Super Chemistry which includes Total Cholesterol, HDL (Good), LDL (bad), rations, triglycerides, Glucose, Kidney, Liver & Heart functions, Electrolytes, Protein, Iron (anemia), Complete Blood Count (CBC). Low Cost Blood Testing Made Easy by HealthCheckUSA.com..

    Women’s Blood Testing Panel
    Thyroid Panel (T3 Uptake, T4 Total and TSH), Diabetes Management Test (HbA1c), Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC) plus Super Chemistry which includes Total Cholesterol, HDL (Good), LDL (bad), rations, triglycerides, Glucose, Kidney, Liver & Heart functions, Electrolytes, Protein, Iron (anemia), Complete Blood Count (CBC). Low Cost Blood Testing Made Easy by HealthCheckUSA.com.

    HealthCheckUSA is the nation’s leader in low cost, direct-to-consumer blood and lab testing and provides people the ability to access all types of blood tests without a physician’s referral and at half the price.

    HealthCheckUSA has packages that make it simple for consumers to measure, monitor, and improve their health by being able to order their own lab tests without a doctor’s order. HealthCheckUSA serves customers without insurance, have high deductible insurance plans, and taking control of their health because their doctor won’t order the test.

    The blood tests available through HealthCheckUSA are the same medically accepted lab tests ordered by doctors for their patients. The blood tests are analyzed by an accredited medical reference laboratory. The results are confidential, and are available by fax to you or your doctor, or by mail to you (please allow 10 working days for mailing). Results are also available on the HealthCheckUSA Web site within 3-4 business days. An information sheet with an explanation of each test, including normal reference ranges, accompanies all results.

    Popular types of blood and lab tests include: thyroid testing, complete metabolic testing (CMP), complete blood count testing, heart disease testing, cholesterol testing, diabetes testing (HbA1c), prostate cancer testing (PSA), vitamin D testing, vitamin B-12 testing, testing for osteoporosis, iron deficiency testing, testosterone testing to check for Low Testosterone (Low T), erectile dysfunction, estrogen testing for low levels of estrogen, male hormone testing and female hormone testing for hormone imbalances, drug testing, STD testing for herpes, hepatitis A, B and C testing, HIV, Chlamydia, syphilis, and EBV, herpes type 1 and type 2 testing, fertility testing in men, fertility testing in women, infertility testing in men, infertility testing in women, pregnancy testing, blood test for pregnancy, blood test for herpes, blood test for HIV, blood test for thyroid, and many more. Please go to www.HealthCheckUSA.com or call 800-929-7044 for complete details.

    Posted by David | Posted on 29-07-2009

    Blood Tests from HealthCheckUSA: Knowledge is Power

    Category : blood tests

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    Low Cost Blood Testing Made Easy From HealthCheckUSA

    thyroid test panelSave Money with HealthCheckUSA

    A simple blood test from HealthCheckUSA and is one of the most important tools consumers have for preventing diseases and improving their health and wellness. Before HealthCheckUSA, the only way consumer could buy blood tests were from their doctor’s office. No more! For over 20 years, HealthCheckUSA has been revolutionizing the way consumers buy blood tests and lab tests and get their blood tested. Consumers have the choice to purchase most blood tests that they can get from their doctor, but paying 50% – 80% less versus buying the same blood tests through their doctor.

    Reasons Consumers are Buying Blood Tests from HealthCheckUSA
    - HealthCheckUSA makes is possible for consumers with no insurance to afford blood tests. Consumers without insurance would pay much more through their doctor versus buying the blood tests from HealthCheckUSA – up to 80% savings on most tests.
    - Consumers also have the choice of ordering most blood tests, from HealthCheckUSA, that they need versus trying to convince doctors to order the blood tests. Consumers are taking control of their health and ordering low cost blood tests from HealthCheckUSA.com.
    - Consumers are ordering blood tests from HealthCheckUSA that concerned with preventing diseases like Heart Disease, stroke, heart attack, diabetes, prostate cancer and other types of cancer, thyroid disorders, osteoporosis, sexually transmitted diseases like HIV Aids, Herpes, Hepatitis, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis, hormonal imbalances like low testosterone (low “t”), infertility in men, erectile dysfunction, infertility in women, menopause in women, iron deficiency, Hemochromatosis, vitamin D deficiency, vitamin b-12 deficiency, and many more.

    The advantages of having you blood tested with HealthCheckUSA

    When deciding to buy your blood and lab tests at HealthCheckUSA, you can rest assured that you are getting the best quality and most convenient choice available. HealthCheckUSA has been serving the consumer directed blood testing community for over 20 years and have tested over 1 million people and our very experienced in the laboratory testing and our services have been written up in a variety of national publications, including TIME, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times.

    Popular Blood Tests From HealthCheckUSA

    Super Chemistry Blood Testing Panel
    Total Cholesterol, HDL (Good), LDL (bad), rations, triglycerides, Glucose, Kidney, Liver & Heart functions, Electrolytes, Protein, Iron (anemia), Complete Blood Count (CBC). Total of 40 Blood Tests through HealthCheckUSA. Low Cost Blood Testing Made Easy by HealthCheckUSA.com.

    Super Chemistry plus Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) Blood Testing Panel
    Prostate Cancer Blood Test (PSA) plus Super Chemistry which includes Total Cholesterol, HDL (Good), LDL (bad), rations, triglycerides, Glucose, Kidney, Liver & Heart functions, Electrolytes, Protein, Iron (anemia), Complete Blood Count (CBC). Low Cost Blood Testing Made Easy by HealthCheckUSA.com.

    Super Chemistry plus Thyroid Panel Blood Testing Panel
    Thyroid Panel (T3 Uptake, T4 Total and TSH) plus Super Chemistry which includes Total Cholesterol, HDL (Good), LDL (bad), rations, triglycerides, Glucose, Kidney, Liver & Heart functions, Electrolytes, Protein, Iron (anemia), Complete Blood Count (CBC). Low Cost Blood Testing Made Easy by HealthCheckUSA.com.

    Men’s Blood Testing Panel
    PSA, Diabetes Management Test (HbA1c), Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC), Testosterone Total plus Super Chemistry which includes Total Cholesterol, HDL (Good), LDL (bad), rations, triglycerides, Glucose, Kidney, Liver & Heart functions, Electrolytes, Protein, Iron (anemia), Complete Blood Count (CBC). Low Cost Blood Testing Made Easy by HealthCheckUSA.com..

    Women’s Blood Testing Panel
    Thyroid Panel (T3 Uptake, T4 Total and TSH), Diabetes Management Test (HbA1c), Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC) plus Super Chemistry which includes Total Cholesterol, HDL (Good), LDL (bad), rations, triglycerides, Glucose, Kidney, Liver & Heart functions, Electrolytes, Protein, Iron (anemia), Complete Blood Count (CBC). Low Cost Blood Testing Made Easy by HealthCheckUSA.com.

    How to order a blood test from HealthCheckUSA

    Ordering a blood test through HealthCheckUSA is easy. You do not need to create an account first, since that is done automatically when you place your first order online. Now, let’s get started on how to order a blood test.

    Placing Your Order for Blood Tests

    1) Click here to Order a Blood Test

    2) To find a blood or lab test, enter keywords in the search box, or browse our selections in the following blood and lab test categories: blood tests for Blood Type (CBC), blood tests for Cancer Screenings, blood tests for Cardiovascular Disease, blood tests for Cardiovascular Health, Combination Lab Test Panels, blood tests for Diabetes, DNA Lab Testing, lab tests for Hemochromatosis, Individual Lab Tests, blood tests for Men’s Health, Most Popular Lab Tests, blood tests for Nutritional Analysis, blood tests that include Premium Health Risk Assessment Reports, blood tests fro RealThyroidHelp.com, lab tests for Sexual Health (Sexually Transmitted Diseases STD’s), lab tests for Stop The Thyroid Madness, Substance Abuse Testing (drug testing), blood tests for the Roby Institute, lab tests for Thyroid Screenings, lab tests for Women’s Health, Other services that includes Physician Interpretation, and a category to view all blood and lab tests.

    3) If you want to order a blood or lab test, click the “Add to Order” button on the detail page. The title of the blood or lab test will appear in your Order Summary.
    To continue ordering more blood and lab tests, click Order More Blood Tests and follow the same instructions.

    Proceed to Checkout to buy Blood Tests

    1) When you’re ready to place an order, click the “Checkout” button.
    2) When the disclaimer appears, please read it carefully and click “I agree” to continue.
    3) In Checkout, you will then see the total amount of your order, including shipping and handling charges.
    4) To create an account, enter your e-mail address, name, date of birth, gender, and address where we will mail your order form. You will also be asked to provide a password. Once your registration is completed, you can use the same shipping address and method of payment to order additional tests in the future.
    5) Click the button to have our staff at HealthCheckUSA choose a convenient location, or cut and paste a lab testing location from one of our affiliated centers into the box provided.
    6) Enter your credit card information. (This is a secure transaction.) Click the “Continue & Review Order” to proceed.

    Submitting Your Order for Blood Tests

    1) Review your order for blood and lab tests a final time. When you are ready to submit your order, click “Finalize Order.”
    2) Your order receipt will appear. You will also receive a copy of the receipt via e-mail.
    3) A customized form will be e-mailed to you upon receipt of your order.
    4) Take the form to the selected lab testing location. Present your paperwork, and have your blood drawn in accordance with the lab test or lab tests you ordered. No appointment is necessary.
    5) Your results will be available online from HealthCheckUSA within 3 – 7 days depending on which lab test or lab tests where ordered.

    HealthCheckUSA is the nation’s leader in low cost, consumer blood and lab testing and provides people the ability to access all types of blood tests without a physician’s referral and at more than half the price of what a the same blood tests cost in a lab without insurance.

    HealthCheckUSA has packages that make it simple for consumers to measure, monitor, and improve their health by being able to order their own lab tests without a doctor’s order. HealthCheckUSA serves customers without insurance, have high deductible insurance plans, and taking control of their health because their doctor won’t order the test.

    The blood tests available through HealthCheckUSA are the same medically accepted lab tests ordered by doctors for their patients. The blood tests are analyzed by an accredited medical reference laboratory. The results are confidential, and are available on the HealthCheckUSA Web site within 3-4 business days.

    Popular types of blood and lab tests include: thyroid testing, complete metabolic testing (CMP), complete blood count testing, heart disease testing, cholesterol testing, diabetes testing (HbA1c), prostate cancer testing (PSA), vitamin D testing, vitamin B-12 testing, testing for osteoporosis, iron deficiency testing, testosterone testing to check for Low Testosterone (Low T), erectile dysfunction, estrogen testing for low levels of estrogen, male hormone testing and female hormone testing for hormone imbalances, drug testing, STD testing for herpes, hepatitis A, B and C testing, HIV, Chlamydia, syphilis, and EBV, herpes type 1 and type 2 testing, fertility testing in men, fertility testing in women, infertility testing in men, infertility testing in women, pregnancy testing, blood test for pregnancy, blood test for herpes, blood test for HIV, blood test for thyroid, and many more. Please go to www.HealthCheckUSA.com or call 800-929-7044 for complete details.

    Posted by David | Posted on 27-07-2009

    Low Cost, Affordable Blood Testing Made Easy at HealthCheckUSA

    Category : blood tests

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    DeGee Johnson wants to save time and not have to go to her doctor for 2 office visits and go the lab besides. Marlene Ortloff is trying to save money because she lost her job and no longer has health insurance and has to pay for blood tests out of her pocket. Polly Dehnert was tired of trying to get her doctor to order a comprehensive hormone panel. Janie Bowthorpe, from Stop the Thyroid Madness, was tired of trying to get her doctor to test her thyroid to rule out any thyroid disorders. A cancer patient in Texas is worried about his privacy. Five people, five different reasons, but they all made the same decision: to order their blood tests directly from HealthCheckUSA and avoid going through their doctor.

    Ordering a blood test is not hard to do. With the advent of the internet and over 5,000 lab locations across the country, HealthCheckUSA is empowering thousands of consumers each month to take action and get their blood tested. “This gives me more power,” says Levine, 43, a rancher from Coni-fer, Colo., who used HealthcheckUSA to get a complete blood count and a sophisticated thyroid test. “I wasn’t getting the answers or tests I needed from my doctor. Plus it’s economics. The thyroid panel ordered by my endocrinologist in Boulder cost me $210. The same test through HealthCheckUSA costs $85.” Unless your insurance will cover both the doctor visit and lab costs – HealthCheckUSA is a great bargain!”

    Popular Blood Testing Panels from HealthCheckUSA
    - Basic Health and Wellness Assessment
    - Men’s Comprehensive Blood Testing Profile
    - Women’s Comprehensive Blood Testing Profile
    - Total Health and Wellness Lab Assessment

    Common Blood Testing Questions

    What is a laboratory test (also known as blood test) from HealthCheckUSA?
    A laboratory test (blood test) is a health screening service that can determine many things about your health that may otherwise go undetected. The tests that you order are the same medically accepted lab tests ordered by physicians. A small sample of your blood is tested by a fully accredited Medical Reference Laboratory, and then analyzed for the tests that have been requested by you or your doctor.

    Why are laboratory tests from HealthCheckUSA useful?
    A regular physical examination helps to determine your level of health that a doctor can see, hear, or touch, such as vision, hearing, weight, respiratory functions, etc. A laboratory test (blood test) provides additional information about your health that cannot be measured in such a way. Test results keep you and your doctor informed about health issues that may otherwise be overlooked.

    I am healthy – why do I need a blood test from HealthCheckUSA?
    Knowledge of your blood’s chemistry is your best defense against degenerative disease. A simple blood test such as our Basic Health and Wellness Blood Testing Panel can indicate what is happening long before any symptoms of disease occur. Similar to a warning indicator on your automobile, your blood test profile is one of the best warning indicators now known to medicine. When blood tests reveal abnormalities, it is urgent to reverse the warnings as quickly as possible to avert the danger of degenerative disease. Even a blood test result that is normal is useful: not only does it help to rule out potential problem areas, it establishes a baseline of normal ranges against which future blood tests can be monitored. When you understand these blood tests and the role blood plays in your body, you can keep your blood test values within normal ranges through diet, exercise, and proper nutrition. When you visit your physician, a history of laboratory reports that you have kept can often provide the clue to a proper diagnosis.

    Are blood tests from HealthCheckUSA accurate?
    Yes – Blood tests available through HealthCheckUSA are the same medically accepted lab tests ordered by doctors for their patients. The blood tests are analyzed by an accredited medical reference laboratory. The results are confidential, and are available on the HealthCheckUSA Web site within 3-4 business days.

    Which are some of the more popular types of blood tests from HealthCheckUSA?
    Our most popular blood test for first-time clients is the Basic Health and Wellness Blood Testing Panel. The Basic Health and Wellness blood test panel establishes a comprehensive foundation of all aspects of your health, upon which future blood tests can be measured. Once this baseline has been established, many clients use the panel of blood tests as a regular check of progress, and to monitor the effects of a change in diet, exercise, or lifestyle.

    Why do I need a Complete Blood Count (CBC) blood test from HealthCheckUSA?
    A CBC blood test is the most frequently performed lab test. It provides a great deal of information about the three kinds of cells in the blood – red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. It is most frequently used as a blood screening test, as an anemia check, and as a blood test for infection, but it is also used to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of a large number of other conditions. Included in the CBC blood test are hematocrit, hemoglobin, red blood cell count, red blood cell indices, white blood cell count, white blood cell differential, and platelet count.

    Why do I need a Thyroid Blood Test Panel 2 from HealthCheckUSA?
    The thyroid is one of the most important glands in the body. This hormone regulates the metabolism of the body by increasing the rate of the reactions taking place in the body’s cells. The panel of thyroid blood tests are used to evaluate the symptoms of excess (hyperthyroidism) such as unexplained weight loss, tremor, nervousness, rapid heart rate, diarrhea, or the sensation of always being too hot. Symptoms of too little thyroid hormone (hypothyroidism) are unexplained weight gain, tiredness, dry skin, or the sensation of always being too cold.

    How do I take a blood test from HealthCheckUSA?
    Simply choose which lab test you wish to take from the list offered, select the most convenient laboratory location, fill out the client information profile, and select your method of payment. You will be sent a personalized requisition form by email to take to your selected laboratory location. The technician at the laboratory will draw a small sample of your blood for testing. As you have prepaid for this service, no further payment will be required at the laboratory.

    Do I need to fast before taking a blood test?
    To ensure absolute accuracy, a ten-hour fast is recommended. Black coffee and water are permitted during your period of fast.

    Will I be able to understand the results of my blood test?
    Yes – all blood test results include reference ranges and abnormalities found. A detailed explanation of each blood test can be viewed on this web site.

    How can I contact someone if I have questions about my blood test results?
    Any questions regarding significant findings or abnormal levels should be discussed with your doctor. Any other questions pertaining to your blood test results should be sent us via email.

    Can I take the blood test results to my doctor for a diagnosis?
    Yes – the blood tests that you order are the same medically accepted lab tests ordered by physicians, and your doctor will be able to discuss them with you. Your doctor will use these results in conjunction with your history and may even decide to order additional tests to confirm the results of any abnormalities.

    How do I access my blood test results online at HealthCheckUSA.com?
    We now offer the ability for our customers to download their results directly online through our HealthCheckUSA.com web site. As mentioned in our privacy policy, this is a completely secure process and all results remain entirely confidential. We do not give access nor do we distribute any personal customer information to third parties whatsoever.

    In order to view your results online, you must register through HealthCheckUSA.com.

    Simply order your test through normal process. Once ordering process is complete, the next screen will ask you for a unique username and password. This information will be processed immediately and your account will be activated. Please click here to order a test.

    Results are typically available for viewing within 7 business days. (Depending on the type of result ordered, in most cases, results will be available sooner). To view you’re your results, simply log onto HealthCheckUSA at your convenience and enter your username and password to view your results. Please keep record of your username and password as HealthCheckUSA does not have access to this information for your own protection.
    Back to Top

    How Does the Physician Interpretation work?
    Once you have your blood drawn, your results are sent directly to you as usual. If you elect to have your results reviewed by a board certified physician, you will also receive instructions on how to access the interpretation of your results. By calling a toll free number and using your user identification number and personal identification number (provided with instructions), you will have access to your personal interpretation. Interpretations are available 72 hours after your blood draw.

    What is the proper use of HealthCheckUSA’s drug tests?
    These drug tests are for screening purposes only. Positives have not been confirmed for legal use and specimens have not been collected under legal guidelines for secure collection, therefore results cannot be used for employment or other legal reasons. Although a negative result indicates no drugs were detected above the method’s cutoff level, other methods may be used to detect lower levels of the drugs in the urine. Results can also be affected by the amount of urine excreted, weight or body type of person taking drug, acidity or alkalinity (pH) of urine, and frequency of drug taken. We offer two separate drug screening panels: Drug Screen Panel 1 and Drug Screen Panel 2. (Pricing may vary according to location you choose.)

    As with all of our testing, results of the drug tests are entirely confidential and not shared with any third party and fully compliant with our privacy policy. Any questions please contact our customer service at (800) 929-2044.
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    What is a HealthCheckUSA Walk-In Site?
    In efforts to make the process more convenient to you, HealthCheckUSA has 2 locations in San Antonio, Texas. At these locations there is no need to pre-pay on-line or wait for us to send you the paperwork. Simply walk in to this location directly at your convenience without any appointment! This location will accept check or credit card payment and draw your blood immediately. Call our customer service for any further questions 1(800) 929-2044.

    HealthCheckUSA is the nation’s leader in low cost, direct-to-consumer blood and lab testing and provides people the ability to access all types of blood tests without a physician’s referral and at half the price.

    HealthCheckUSA has packages that make it simple for consumers to measure, monitor, and improve their health by being able to order their own lab tests without a doctor’s order. HealthCheckUSA serves customers without insurance, have high deductible insurance plans, and taking control of their health because their doctor won’t order the test.

    The blood tests available through HealthCheckUSA are the same medically accepted lab tests ordered by doctors for their patients. The blood tests are analyzed by an accredited medical reference laboratory. The results are confidential, and are available by fax to you or your doctor, or by mail to you (please allow 10 working days for mailing). Results are also available on the HealthCheckUSA Web site within 3-4 business days. An information sheet with an explanation of each test, including normal reference ranges, accompanies all results.

    Popular types of blood and lab tests include: thyroid testing, complete metabolic testing (CMP), complete blood count testing, heart disease testing, cholesterol testing, diabetes testing (HbA1c), prostate cancer testing (PSA), vitamin D testing, vitamin B-12 testing, testing for osteoporosis, iron deficiency testing, testosterone testing to check for Low Testosterone (Low T), erectile dysfunction, estrogen testing for low levels of estrogen, male hormone testing and female hormone testing for hormone imbalances, drug testing, STD testing for herpes, hepatitis A, B and C testing, HIV, Chlamydia, syphilis, and EBV, herpes type 1 and type 2 testing, fertility testing in men, fertility testing in women, infertility testing in men, infertility testing in women, blood test for pregnancy, and many more. Please go to HealthCheckUSA or call 800-929-7044 for complete details.

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