New Technology May Help LowerCholesterol (NAPSA)—There may be good newsfor the estimated 100 million people in the U.S. with elevated cholesterol levels. According to the American > Heart Association, a cholesterol reading of 240 is considered high and puts an individual at risk for coronary heart disease—the leading cause of death in the U.S. Until age 50, men are at greater risk than women of developing heart disease, though once a woman enters menopause, her risk triples. Nearly 41 million individuals in the U.S. are thought to have cholesterol levels in excess of 240. To a great extent, this has been the driving force behind the explosive growth of the category of drugs called statin drugs. These are drugs that are used to lower cholesterol and now account for $10 billion annually in prescriptions for 13 million Americans. It’s estimated, however, that as many as two-thirds of the people taking cholesterol-lowering drugs do not gain as muchof a benefit from the medicine as they should because they do a poorjob of following their treatment schedule. But research does indicate that patients who frequently monitor their cholesterol levels between doctors visits can significantly improve their complianceto treatment programs and better manage their cholesterol. To help patients monitor their cholesterol, a company called Lifestream Technologies has cre- Research indicates patients who monitor their cholesterol do a better job of complying with their treatment schedules. ated the first home device of its kind designed to accurately and cost-effectively measure total blood cholesterol at home and provide the reading within three minutes. The Lifestream Cholesterol Monitor uses the Data Concern Personal Health Card. This advanced smart card technology lets a patient record up to 200 test results and can also display an average of the last six test measurements taken. This unique technology also makes it possible for all members of the family to use a single device simply by replacing one Data Concern Personal Health Card with another one. This allows each individual in a family to store and track their own cholesterol test results. To learn more, visit the Web site at www.knowitforlife.com or call 1-888-954-LIFE.
