Triglycerides 638???

[Aurora_75]

Deleted

[Coop2004]

Hi Dawn, :wave

Hope this sheds some light on your question.

http://www.bodyalivehealth.com/health/triglycerides.htm

Understanding Triglycerides

Triglycerides are the principle form of lipids, or fats, circulating in your bloodstream, and most of your body fat comes in the form of triglycerides. Cholesterol is also a lipid, but it has a different chemical structure than triglyceride molecules. Like cholesterol, triglycerides play a necessary role in the body providing much of the fuel needed for body cells to function.

Blood triglycerides are derived from two sources; the foods you eat… mainly sugar, animal products and saturated fats… and from the liver itself, especially during times when dietary fats are not available. The liver is also responsible for production of approximately two-thirds of the cholesterol in your body.

If you have high cholesterol, click here to...

Safely reduce your cholesterol by 30 to 50 points in six to eight weeks.
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What exactly are the risks of having high triglycerides?

A high blood level of triglycerides by itself may not be so bad, but high triglycerides are most often accompanied by high levels of LDL cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) and low levels of HDL cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol). The Helsinki Heart Study found that people with a high blood triglycerides level alone - that is that the participants had no other risk factors for heart disease - had about a 50% increased risk for coronary artery disease, compared to people with normal levels. However, they had a 300% greater risk for coronary artery disease when they had both high blood triglyceride levels combined with high levels of LDL cholesterol. Add borderline high blood pressure, too (140/90 mmHg or greater), and those people suffered a 500% increase! See the chart below.

Furthermore, high triglyceride levels may also increase your blood's tendency to form clots, which is another important factor in clogged arteries.

When triglycerides are very high, greater than 500 mg/dL, there is increased risk of developing pancreatitis, an inflammation of your pancreas. You should consider treatment to lower your triglycerides as soon as possible.

How do I tell what triglyceride test score is safe?

In May, 2001, the U.S. National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP), a division of the National Institutes of Health, released new recommendations to help evaluate who is at risk because of elevated triglyceride levels. Compare your test results with the chart below.

Triglyceride Level Classification
Less than 150 mg/dL Normal
150-199 mg/dL Borderline High
200-499 mg/dL High
500 mg/dL or higher Very high

Although your risk of having heart disease is based on your cholesterol levels, the type of therapy your doctor recommends may depend on whether your triglycerides are "high" or "normal".

:hug

Linda (Coop)

[2big4mysize]

yes both those numbers are high. Atkins should help lower his TGs because as Dr Atkins says in the absense of carbohydrates our bodies burn TG for fuel. Triglycerides are the storage form of fats in our bodies and in the foods we eat.

Many people have genes that cause them to make way more blood levels of TG then they need and this is a big concern for doctors.

Fish oils are supposed to help lower them

[LadyDanaDragon]

That is right

I work as a lab tech for the Army. Once TG go greater than 400 we can no longer perform the test for HDL, or VLDL. So your nurse was right there is no way to tell what his good (HDL) is or the size of the proteins (VLDL).

""Lipoproteins are mixtures of fatty cholesterol and proteins in the blood that transport cholesterol, triglycerides, and other lipids to various tissues. There are three types: high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL).

Very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) is composed mostly of cholesterol, with little protein. VLDL is often called "bad cholesterol" because it deposits cholesterol on the walls of arteries. Increased levels of VLDL are associated with atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. On the contrary, high density lipoprotein (HDL), sometimes referred to as "good cholesterol," seems to protect against blood vessel and heart diseases.""

[Happyme]

Hi Aurora, I hope that your husbands doctor has sat down with you both to explain things and discuss a plain to make things better. Is your husband on Atkins with you? I hope he will be able to get his numbers down soon :yes