Should you take a DIY health check?

BOWEL CANCER

SelfCheck Bowel Health Test, £11.99 (one test), stressnomore.co.uk

WHAT’S THE TEST? This test looks for microscopic traces of blood in your stool that may be a sign of cancer. Place three tiny samples into a supplied test tube and add a chemical solution. After five minutes, you put two drops of this mix onto a test ‘cassette’ (a bit like a pregnancy test). Two purple lines in the results window indicate a ‘positive’ result, meaning blood has been found.

EXPERT VERDICT: ‘It’s hard to guarantee reliability of a home test, because of potential human error,’ says Charlotte Dawson, head of the nurse advisory service at Bowel Cancer UK and Beating Bowel Cancer.

‘And if someone has symptoms, does a home test and it’s negative, they might think everything is fine, so won’t see a doctor — though the result might be a “false” negative.’ She stresses a ‘positive’ result on a home test is not an absolute sign of bowel cancer. 7/10

DIABETES

Atlas Home Diabetes Test, £3.99 (two tests), zoomhealth.co.uk

WHAT’S THE TEST? A urine dipstick test to check levels of sugar (glucose) and ketones (a substance produced if you don’t have enough insulin). You compare the resulting colour against a chart.

EXPERT VERDICT: ‘Urine is not used to diagnose diabetes. These might be able to tell if you have higher levels of glucose in your urine — but not that you have diabetes,’ says Kathryn Kirchner, clinical advisor for Diabetes UK.

‘If you have symptoms such as excessive thirst or frequent urination, or are worried you have some risk factors for type 2 diabetes ( being overweight and a family history), we recommend you speak to a doctor.

‘Even a DIY blood test to check glucose would not necessarily tell you if you have diabetes — only that the glucose level in your blood is high.’ 2/10

STOMACH ULCER

Ulcer Screen (one test), £7.50, personaldiagnostics.co.uk

WHAT’S THE TEST? A test for antibodies to the Helicobacter pylori bacteria that can cause stomach ulcers. Place a drop of blood onto the test window. After ten minutes, you see the result — two lines signify result. You’re advised to see your GP if this happens.

EXPERT VERDICT: ‘I’d be very sceptical of these types of kit to test for a stomach ulcer,’ says Dr Mark Cox, a consultant gastroenterologist at Spire Parkway Hospital, Solihull. ‘It can only tell if, at

some time —maybe years ago — you had the H. pylori bacteria, rather than if you have it now. That’s because the test looks for antibodies (which the body prosponse to an infection), rather than the bacteria. It doesn’t follow that having the bacteria means you have a stomach ulcer, either.

‘If you feel symptoms of an ulcer, such as a dull stomach ache or bloating, see your GP. They can refer you for a gastroscopy to look inside the stomach — the only way to know for sure.’ 2/10

OSTEOPOROSIS Osentia Osteoporosis Screening Test, £39.99, Superdrug

WHAT’S THE TEST? You send a toenail or fingernail clipping to a laboratory, along with a health questionnaire: this is used to assess your risk of a bone fracture, which may be a sign of osteoporosis. The lab uses a laser-based technique to examine the structure of the nails. The results are emailed or posted to you.

EXPERT VERDICT: ‘I’m not aware that there is a huge correlation between being able to tell that you have osteoporosis by analysing your nail,’ says Dr Ian Currie, a consultant gynaecologist with an interest in osteoporosis and the menopause, who is based at BMI The Chiltern Hospital, Buckinghamshire.

It will not diagnose osteoporosis, only your risk of fracture — something GPs can do with a FRAX questionnaire, a series of questions asking about lifestyle and if you have suffered falls.

‘Depending on this, a patient would undergo the gold-standard test for osteoporosis, a DEXA scan (measuring the bone’s mineral density). This is a better route than a home test, where the evidence on its validity is tenuous.’ 1/10