Could DIY blood tests free you from the GP?
Pre-diabetes. High cholesterol. Even prostate cancer...
WORRIED about diabetes or high cholesterol? Maybe you’re desperate to know why you’re tired all the time? Good news… waiting for a GP’s verdict on a host of conditions may no longer be necessary. Over the past five years, the array of do-it-yourself health tests has mushroomed, promising to aid diagnosis of everything from vitamin deficiencies to heart disease. With a third of British women neglecting potentially lifesaving screening appointments, the Department of Health may soon roll out DIY smear tests. Similarly, at-home tests for sexually transmitted infections successfully detect disease and aid early diagnosis. Many DIY tests can deliver a verdict in seconds – but are all these home-test kits as scientific as they should be?
Will they spark anxiety over a condition you don’t have – or worse, miss one that you do?
Here we check out a range of the most popular – and get the medical experts’ verdict…
BOOTS PHARMACEUTICALS CHOLESTEROL HOME TEST KIT, £11.99, BOOTS.CO.UK
WHAT IS IT? A finger-prick blood test that claims to help assess risk of developing heart disease. Higher blood levels of LDL cholesterol, a type of fat, are a known risk factor for coronary heart disease, the UK’s biggest killer.
HOW DOES IT WORK? The test contains a sharp blade called a lancet and a test card. Draw blood using the lancet, then place the blood on the card containing a dye which will change colour. A corresponding instruction indicates what each colour means, providing an instant result.
THE VERDICT: Doesn’t distinguish between types of cholesterol but, says Dr Louise Selby, a GP based in Guildford, Surrey: ‘It may prompt people with high cholesterol, or heart disease in their family, to visit their GP.’
MEDICHECKS TIREDNESS AND FATIGUE BLOOD TEST, £59.99, BOOTS.CO.UK
WHAT IS IT? Measures eight chemicals in the blood which indicate thyroid function, iron levels and Vitamin D level. Claims to diagnose deficiency and anaemia.
HOW DOES IT WORK? The blade draws eight to ten drops of blood, placed in a small tube provided. This sample is then sent in a pre-paid sealed envelope to a lab for testing. Results are available within three days.
THE VERDICT: ‘Results are limited,’ explains Dr Selby. ‘Anaemia is normally diagnosed via a test for the protein haemoglobin in the blood. You can be anaemic and have normal iron levels.’
SELF-CHECK BLOOD GLUCOSE PRE-DIABETES TEST, £9.95, WELLNOSTICS.COM
WHAT IS IT? A blood test measuring blood glucose levels and signs of pre-diabetes – when blood sugar levels are too high, but not high enough to indicate type 2 diabetes.
HOW DOES IT WORK? The fingerprick test detects abnormally high levels of HbA1c , or glycated haemoglobin, in the blood. High levels are associated with excess blood glucose and are considered a sign of prediabetes. One drop of blood is blotted on to a test strip, which then changes colour in two minutes. Colour-comparison charts indicate the result.
THE VERDICT: Luci Daniels, a dietician who works with diabetics, says: ‘HbA1c is an accurate way of measuring long-term blood sugar levels but I have not seen evidence that this test does the same as ours do in clinic.’
SELFCHECK PROSTATE TEST, £14.99, LLOYDSPHARMACY.COM
WHAT IS IT? A finger-prick test to measure prostate specific antigen (PSA) in the blood, linked to prostate cancer and prostatitis. Results are seen within ten minutes.
HOW DOES IT WORK? The finger is pricked and blood collected in a plastic measuring chamber. After ten minutes, lines appear in the window of the chamber. Two lines indicate a positive result that warrants further investigation.
THE VERDICT: Christopher Eden, Urology Professor at Guildford’s Royal Surrey County Hospital, has used these tests with patients. ‘They are 80 per cent as accurate as a lab test and better than no test at all.’
GLUTENCHECK COELIAC DISEASE TEST, £22.48, STRESSNOMORE.CO.UK
WHAT IS IT? A blood test for gluten sensitivity and coeliac disease, an auto-immune condition in which gluten triggers damage to the gut. Delivers results in five minutes.
HOW DOES IT WORK? The test checks for IgA anti-bodies which occur when someone with coeliac disease eats gluten. Blood is drawn and placed in a measuring chamber. A window shows the results – positive if a red line appears.
THE VERDICT: Dr Selby says: ‘This is how I test for coeliac disease but it is not 100 per cent accurate. The IgA antibodies only build up when gluten is eaten, and many who are coeliac may follow a glutenfree diet. The diagnosis must be confirmed by a doctor.’
GYNAEHEALTH UK, £85, GYNAEHEALTHUK.COM
WHAT IS IT? Screens for the presence of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) – which causes cervical cancer.
HOW DOES IT WORK? The kit contains a collecting device, instructions and a plastic wand which a woman inserts into her vagina to collect a swab. The sample is sealed, placed in a pre-paid return box and sent to a laboratory for testing. Results are emailed within ten days. THE VERDICT: Dr Selby says: ‘This is not a test for cancer – it’s for a virus that might make you more at risk.’ Researchers found these tests produce more ‘false positives’ (detecting disease when there isn’t any) than GPs’ screening tests.