I got my most recent results from the Stanford study yesterday. My triglycerides have increased from 508 last spring to 726! My A1c is holding steady at 6.8 but the triglycerides are way out of control. This is what I’ve learned about them online.
About 99% of the fat we store in our bodies is triglycerides. Using insulin, we transform the carbohydrates we eat into glucose to be used for energy. Once the cells have what they need, the excess glucose is sent back to the liver and converted to glycogen, which is then stored in muscle tissue. Once we’ve stored all the glycogen we can, excess glycogen is sent back to the liver again, where it becomes triglycerides, which are stored as fat. The body seems to have endless storage space for this fat.
Some of the triglycerides are not stored as fat, they remain in the blood stream. Excess levels of triglycerides thicken your blood, making it sludgy, which increases the possibility of clotting and blockage which could eventually lead to a heart attack or stroke.
High triglyceride levels seem to go hand in glove with low HDL (good) cholesterol levels. High triglycerides, low HDLs and high body fat are the key factors in so-called “Metabolic Syndrome.” They are signs of increased risk of early death from heart disease.
How do we get those triglycerides down? Well grape juice doesn’t seem to have helped. Increasing fruits and veggies and omega-3 fatty acids are the diet part. Getting sugar under better control should lower the triglycerides. Then there is possible medication. I don’t want to add another med. Everything seems to come down to getting my eating back under control, getting the sugars down. It seems so impossible right now.
Welcome to the wonderful world of high triglycerides! My worst health problems are related to high triglycerides. Mine are no longer as high as yours, but I am maxed out on the meds that can be taken to control them and they still remain high. I urge you to go ahead and add that extra med to bring your numbers down. High triglycerides can lead to pancreatitis – that’s where mine came from. Nearly every time I have a problem with my pancreas my triglyceride levels have risen. What I have learned through all the years I’ve fought this battle is that triglyceride levels are more affected by the amount of carbohydrates we eat than by dietary fat. I’m not sure how all this fits with your other gastric problems, but I do know that pancreatitis is scary and you don’t really want to add it to your problems. Doesn’t seem fair that we keep adding new things to our list of health problems, does it? I can deal with what I’ve always dealt with, but one more new thing may tip the scales and send me off into the land of tranquilizers, psychiatrists, and padded rooms.
By: adamswife on November 10, 2007
at 12:43 pm
Thank you, Eve! Seriously, I’ve been feeling like the world’s biggest diabetic failure. It’s nice to know others are struggling with this too. Not that I wish you more health problems but you know what I mean.
A padded room sounds kind of nice. Maybe a sugar-free fruity drink on the beach instead?
By: Zazzy on November 10, 2007
at 3:20 pm
Several years ago DH had very high cholesterol.Our
doctor wanted to give him meds,if his next cholesterol
test,two months later,was still high.We didn’t have a computer then.I went to the library and read up on it.
On the way home I stopped at the health food store
and bought oat bran.DH loves oatmeal,( I don’t ).Every morning I sprinkled 1 Tbsp.oat bran on his cooked
oatmeal for breakfast.Two months later his cholesterol
was down.The doctor was very surprised.It has been normal ever since !
Mayo Clinic link
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cholesterol/CL00002
Oatmeal and Oat Bran
Oatmeal contains soluble fiber,which reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL),the “bad” cholesterol.
Soluble fiber is also found in such foods as kidney beans,brussels sprouts,apples,pears,psyllium,barley
and prunes.Soluble fiber appears to reduce the
absorption of cholesterol in your intestines.
Gel-like soluble fiber binds bile (which contains
cholesterol) and dietary cholesterol so that the body excretes it.Five to 10 grams of soluble fiber a day
decreases LDL cholesterol by about 5 percent.
Eating 1.5 cups of cooked oatmeal provides 4.5 grams
of fiber — enough to lower your cholesterol,or mix it
up a little,try oat bran or cold cereal made with
oatmeal or oat bran.
Maybe it will bring down your triglycerides too.
Happy Thanksgiving !
Treasure every moment that you have !
Yesterday is history.Tomorrow is a mystery.
Today is a gift.That’s why it’s called the present !
Eleanor Roosevelt
By: schnuckiputz on November 11, 2007
at 3:43 am
Thanks, Scnucki! Oatmeal, unfortunately, really raises my sugar. I think trying to get more fresh fruits and veggies might be helpful – provided the tummy tolerates them.
By: Zazzy on November 11, 2007
at 11:45 am
I guess what frustrates me the most is exactly what you have spoken to about all our resources here in the US. I can have all the advantages of modern science and instead I slug along being “non-compliant” most of the time. If I remember to take my meds and if I decide not to eat that double-double cheeseburger and if I get off my phat arse and exercise some and if and if and if… sometimes it feels impossible to me too.
I think that’s why we still need each other in this forum. I have to remember that if we don’t fight the dragon it wins… slowly and quietly but it wins all the same. I think I’ll put back these cookies and get me an apple instead.
By: phatz on November 15, 2007
at 6:27 am