Home Medical Testing Devices: Closely Monitor Your Own Health
As baby boomers become senior citizens, many are choosing to take a more active role in monitoring their health. Now, many home testing devices are becoming available to allow them to do that.
Home medical testing is a booming consumer product sector. The idea is that as baby boomers age, many want to take a more active role in monitoring their health. So high-tech products are coming out to help them do that. The advantages of these products are that if you have high cholesterol, for example, you won't have to run to your doctor every time you want to check it. There are devices out now that will allow you to draw a drop of blood from your finger and run a test at home. The possible downside is that if you don't do the test right, you could end up with bad results, and you may end up calling your doctor with a false alarm.
When used right, though, a lot of these products really can be useful. These products are each designed for someone with a specific problem--high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart problems, and so on. By taking a quick look at what's out there, we will get an idea of how this industry is growing.
We start out looking at a couple of different cholesterol monitors. To use each, you must prick your finger and supply a drop of blood. The US Food and Drug Administration has approved both monitors.
Cholesterol Monitors
A. Bioscanner cholesterol monitor, price $150. It does a number of tests: glucose, HDL, or the so-called good cholesterol, and tryglycerides. It measures good cholesterol and total cholesterol but not LDL, the so-called bad cholesterol. It allows you to track cholesterol better to see if your diet and exercise are working.
B. Lifestream cholesterol monitor, price $129. It measures the level of total cholesterol. This has a "smart card" reader that allows you to store results. It gives you total cholesterol in just 3 minutes.
Painless Laser Lancing Device
A lot of people don't like to have to prick their finger to draw blood for tests. For them there is the Lasette laser lancing device, price $995. You push the green button, and when it stops flashing, it's ready to fire. The knob on the bottom is to adjust the puncture. It is relatively painless.
Home EKG Device
It takes the main measurements that a real EKG takes and does calculations. You turn it on, and then put your two thumbs on it for 10 seconds. It can indicate arrhythmia, deviations and irregularities, and tells you if you're in or out of standard. If you're out of standard, you might want a real EKG done.
Omron Finger Blood Pressure Monitor
The price is $135. It's easier and more convenient than conventional machines. It takes 2 minutes. People who are on blood pressure medication or people with hypertension are among those who might want to use it.
Airwatch Asthma Monitor
The price is $109. This is a small hand-hel device that can help you determine how your asthma medicine is working. You basically blow hard and long into it. It measures two things, force and volume.
Protime Microcoagulation System
This costs around $1,500. It's for people who are on blood thinners. These would be people who have heart conditions like stroke, heart valve replacements, or clotting disorders. Again, you place a drop of your blood in it, and it gives you a reading. It's really important to monitor your condition if you're on blood thinner.
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