3 USEFUL KITS...

1. Home blood-pressure monitor To record blood-pressure readings at home or work.

How does it work? You check your blood pressure with an arm or wrist device. The machine stores the readings; you may be able to download them on to your PC.

How much? Prices range from £9.99 to £299.99.

Why is it worth it? The “whitecoat effect” describes the tendency for your blood pressure to rise when you visit the surgery, probably because you’ve been fretting in the waiting room. So when your doctor puts the cuff on your arm, he gets a distorted snapshot of your blood pressure. Far better to have a look through a “family album” of relaxed readings taken over days or weeks, which is what a home monitor provides. Any doubts, just check your monitor against his machine. There remains some debate about how home readings should be interpreted. However, they provide valuable information in diagnosing high blood pressure, and in monitoring treatment.

Score 8/10

Buying advice Most high street pharmacies stock monitors. The British Hypertension Society says upper-arm monitors tend to be more accurate than lower arm, wrist or finger monitors.

2. Diabetes tester To check your blood sugar level to see whether it falls into the diabetic range.

How does it work? A sample of blood taken via a pinprick is put on to test paper and the results checked against a chart.

How much? £5.99-£11.99

Why is it worth it? Diabetes is common, but about 50 per cent of cases remain undiagnosed. Even those people with the classic symptoms of thirst, tiredness and passing excessive amounts of urine may delay seeking medical advice. Early diagnosis is important, though, because it may help to reduce the risk of complications. So a home-testing kit may be useful if it flags up a potential problem in someone with symptoms who would otherwise have put off visiting the doctor. And it may be a worthwhile occasional check for those with a family history of diabetes, or the obese overfifties. The test requires confirmation from your GP.

Score 6/10

Buying advice Available from high street and online, including Boots (Blood Glucose Home Test Kit, £11.99). The finger-prick blood tests are more accurate than urine tests. Do not confuse with blood-glucose tests for people who know they’re diabetic.

3. Chlamydia test kit To check for the sexual infection chlamydia.

How does it work? A sample of urine is sent to the lab, with results arriving by post about a week later.

How much? £25

Why is it not worth it? Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted disease, which can have serious consequences, including infertility. Unfortunately, in most cases it causes no symptoms, hence the plan for chlamydia screening nationally on the NHS, aimed at the under25s. In areas where this is not yet easily available, or for those embarrassed about attending their GP or a local clinic, the home test provides a reasonable, and fairly reliable, option. Treatment requires a course of antibiotics. It’s important to remember that sexual contacts should be tested or treated, too. And bear in mind that this test is only for chlamydia.

Score 7/10

Buying advice Available from high street and online pharmacies, including Boots (£25).

AND 3 OF LESS VALUE

1. Meningitis tester To test for the skin rash associated with one type of meningitis.

How does it work? It contains a plastic gizmo to press against the skin, plus an advice leaflet.

How much? £2.99-£9.99.

Why is it not worth it? Most parents know that one of the signs of meningitis is a rash that doesn’t fade when you press a glass against it. A lot of the meningitis testing kits on the market are little more than a tumbler test with knobs on. Actually, the rash of meningitis is rare. So the constant reinforcement of the meningitis/rash link may cause unnecessary worry, particularly if your child is otherwise well. A very sick child with a nonblanching rash warrants immediate action, though most parents know that already. The accompanying leaflet does discuss these issues, but may be overlooked.

Score 2/10

Advice If you are worried, call your doctor.

2. Coeliac test To check for coeliac disease, a bowel problem in which an intolerance to gluten causes diarrhoea, bloating, abdominal pain and many other symptoms.

How does it work? A finger-prick blood-testing kit checks for antibodies found in the blood of coeliac patients.

How much? £9.99

Why is it not worth it? The test itself is pretty good, but isn’t 100 per cent accurate. False negatives can occur, especially if you have already put yourself on a gluten-free diet. And, while a positive test makes coeliac likely, a definite diagnosis requires further investigation by a specialist.

The disease shouldn’t be entirely self-managed, either. It requires input from a dietitian, monitoring, and other tests, such as a check on bones, as coeliac disease can cause osteoporosis.

And, of course, a negative result means that there must be some other explanation for your symptoms, ranging from irritable bowel syndrome to colon cancer. In other words, a positive result means a trip to your doctor. And a negative one means a trip to your doctor. So why not just take a trip to your doctor?

Score 2/10

3. Breast self-examination glove To help women perform breast self-examination.

How does it work? The glove apparently “magnifies fingertip sensitivity” and comes with a DVD of instructions.

How much? £2.49-£14.99

Why is it not worth it? This product perpetuates the myth that women should regularly and ritually examine their breasts. In fact, research shows that, counter-intuitively, this is not a good idea because regular self-examiners fare no better in breast cancer outcomes than other women, but they have been shown to suffer higher levels of anxiety and undergo more unnecessary biopsies. So convincing is the evidence that the Department of Health and most cancer charities have moved away from recommending regular self-examination; instead, they promote the somewhat woolly, “breast awareness”.

As for magnified fingertip sensitivity, it’s difficult to understand how these gloves could achieve such an effect. Besides, a proper breast examination should be performed with the flat of the hand, not the fingertips. The latter are sensitive to all breast tissue, both normal and abnormal, making it difficult to distinguish between the two.

Score 0/10

Advice See your doctor if you notice any changes in your breasts.

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