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Home Test Kits :: FDA
Comments On Home
Testing
FDA Comments On Home Testing
As you might expect the FDA has it's opinions on home diagnostic testing and proves some advice for anyone
who decides that there is a home test that they want to try.
More and more Americans are playing doctor in the privacy of their own bathrooms,
using a few drops of blood or a urine sample to test for cholesterol, blood glucose, or evidence of colon
or rectal cancer. In fact, a snippet of a child's hair now can confirm the use of illicit drugs.
Often seen as a less expensive and a more convenient alternative to a trip to the doctor's office,
self-testing diagnostic and monitoring devices are booming in sales. Devices such as blood-glucose tests
and blood-pressure kits make it easier for people to self-monitor conditions such as diabetes and
hypertension. However, this technology-driven trend is not without limits and could result in serious
problems for those who rely on the tests instead of on the expertise of their health-care provider. A
recent shift in the home diagnostics market--from monitoring chronic illnesses to diagnosing serious or
potentially fatal diseases--is raising red flags among health professionals.
For years, pregnancy tests and ovulation predictors dominated the home test kit market. While these devices
still generate large numbers of self-care sales, other tools of the medical trade are fast becoming
available outside the doctor's office--no prescription needed. Spiraling health-care costs, increased
interest in preventive health care, and a desire for privacy are paving the way for products that now
include screening for the virus that causes AIDS and for drugs of abuse.
Screening tests often are used at home to check for symptoms of a disease when they may not be readily
apparent. For example, people can measure their cholesterol and triglyceride levels--two types of fats in
the blood--to help minimize the risk of cardiovascular disease.
See also
Benefits & Limitations of Home Diagnostic Testing
Ask Your Doctor
Finding Reliable & Reputable Sources
Follow The Directions
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