Lancet Laboratories to provide free prostate-specific antigen tests to the first 10 men

Lancet Laboratories of the North Riding Intercare will provide free prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests to the first 10 men on On the 6 April while the rest will get tested at a promotional rate.

The event is from 9am until 1pm and there will also be free glucose and cholesterol screenings.

The PSA test measures the blood level of the antigen, a protein produced by the prostate gland, and then screens for cancer that develops in the gland. The higher a man’s PSA level, the more likely it is that he has prostate cancer, however, there are other reasons that a man might have a high PSA level.

Prostate cancer is the most common cause of death from men over the age of 75. According to Lancet Laboratories, people who are at risk of developing this cancer are men over the age of 50 and men with a family history of prostate cancer. If you do have a family history of prostate cancer, you should be screened from the age of 40. However, you should be tested immediately if you notice have any of the warning signs.

A glucose screening tests whether your blood sugar is within normal range. Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus or sugar diabetes, is a lifelong disease in which the body cannot process sugar properly. When people who have diabetes eat glucose, which is found in foods such as bread, potatoes, and sweets, it can’t be converted into energy. Instead, the glucose stays in the blood, resulting in high blood sugar (glucose). Your blood needs sugar as available energy but too much sugar is not good for your health. It can damage your heart, kidneys, eyes, nerves, teeth, and gums.

Although we are often warned of the dangers of cholesterol, we cannot survive without it. Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance (a lipid) that is essential to the body’s cell membranes, the insulation of nerves and the production of certain hormones. It is also used by the liver to make bile acids, which help digest your food.

All adults over the age of 20 should have non-fasting total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) measured at least once every three to five years. If the total cholesterol and HDL are abnormal, a full lipid profile, which measures fasting total cholesterol, HDL, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglycerides, is recommended. If an underlying disease or medication is responsible for the abnormal cholesterol levels, this process should be corrected. Cholesterol levels may vary slightly as a result of biological variation, thus, if your levels are abnormal, two measurements should be taken, one to eight weeks apart, and the values averaged to obtain an accurate baseline level.

Details: Lancet Laboratories 011 358 0800

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