Latest Blood Work results

[LUZAMAR]

Yesterday I ireceived my latest blood work results:

Some of the points worth noticing are:

HbA1c=5.7
Fasting Blood Glucose=113
Total Cholesterol=280
HDL=41
Triglycerides=1680
Uric Acid=8.6 (Normal Range between 3.0 and 7.7)

I'm in my fifth month into Low carb, and although I have maintained A1c levels beneath 5.7 since the start, stilll haven't seen good results on Triglycerides.
Currently having two 500 mg metformin pills and supplementing with 720 mG Fish oil (only counting effective EPA&DHA), not eating wheat and exercising regularly.
Cholesterol is a little high but it does not really bother me.

I won't freak out, I will keep on eating low carb despite my doctor's advise. I have refused to go on statins before and still see no reason for them.

When I started low carbing, when I was still brainwashed with fats and proteins fear, I said to myself that I would rather die from heart attack (long family history with heart related problems and have always seen it as the most natural cause of death) than suffering terrifyng diabetes complications.

Now again I'm having second thoughts about being on the right path and have kinda the same feeling that I surely will die from heart attack, although as before, I'm O.k. with it

I'm thinking on Fibrates and Niacin to lower triglycerides because I want to avoid pancreatitis even if they don't help with my metabolism.

I guess I didn't wake up in the best mood and I'm just letting steam off. I'm sorry.

[jem51]

isn't there something in dr B's book about lipids increasing initially? then they'd start to lower again. i don't remember the time frame.

[eddiemcm]

MOST LC'ers have high total cholesterol,high LDL,great HDL and great
triglycerides.There are exceptions.
In the past,I had trouble with triglycerides.Two Jarrow 450 mg Pantethine pills
per day keep my triglycerides around 100.
Eddie

[Korban]

The triglyceride number appears to be in error because it alone (i.e., not including LDL and HDL) would give a total (calculated) cholesterol value over 300. Are you sure that is the value reported? If it is the value reported, they need to re-check it. It has to be worth some peace of mind to know at least.

Bernstein says that trigylceride levels will often increase during the process of losing weight and then level off afterwards. I have heard someone else say that the tg level increases only at the beginning few weeks of the weight loss process and then levels off... so I don't know for sure which is or isn't correct, if either.

/smile

[LUZAMAR]

The triglyceride number appears to be in error because it alone (i.e., not including LDL and HDL) would give a total (calculated) cholesterol value over 300. Are you sure that is the value reported? If it is the value reported, they need to re-check it. It has to be worth some peace of mind to know at least.

Bernstein says that trigylceride levels will often increase during the process of losing weight and then level off afterwards. I have heard someone else say that the tg level increases only at the beginning few weeks of the weight loss process and then levels off... so I don't know for sure which is or isn't correct, if either.

/smile


I'm not losing weight, I've been very stable in 170 pounds.
1680 is the value reported by the lab, they make sure you notice by using bold numbers for out of range results.
I'm not sure how are you making such calculations, I didn't know you could see a relationship between Cholesterol and TG values. I'll appreciate if you explain a little further.
Meanwhile, I'm gonna try fibrates to see how I respond to them.

[Lisa N]

I'm not losing weight, I've been very stable in 170 pounds.
1680 is the value reported by the lab, they make sure you notice by using bold numbers for out of range results.
I'm not sure how are you making such calculations, I didn't know you could see a relationship between Cholesterol and TG values. I'll appreciate if you explain a little further.
Meanwhile, I'm gonna try fibrates to see how I respond to them.

Luzamar, if it were me, I'd ask the lab to recheck those numbers because they definately do not add up so it seems that something may have been miscalculated.
Total cholesterol in the US is calculated as: Triglycerides divided by 5 + LDL + HDL.
Your triglycerides divided by 5 alone give a value of 336 and you didn't post your LDL values (did the lab give them to you?).

[eddiemcm]

My doctor once told me that when triglyceride reading is badly out of range,the calculation method for determining LDL is
invalid.I personally am unsure if that is correct.
Eddie

[LUZAMAR]

Luzamar, if it were me, I'd ask the lab to recheck those numbers because they definately do not add up so it seems that something may have been miscalculated.
Total cholesterol in the US is calculated as: Triglycerides divided by 5 + LDL + HDL.
Your triglycerides divided by 5 alone give a value of 336 and you didn't post your LDL values (did the lab give them to you?).

Thanks for the explanation.
LDL reported is 180.
I also found this article about Cholesterol Numbers calculation:

Low Triglyceride Levels Affect Calculation of Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Values. (http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-72431756.html) .

"In the presence of rare type 3 hyperlipoproteinemia, or if the TG level exceeds 400 mg/dL, the LDL-C (calc.) is no longer reliable and should be measured directly or the result would be erroneously lower."

[Korban]

Bernstein says that trigylceride levels will often increase during the process of losing weight and then level off afterwards. I have heard someone else say that the tg level increases only at the beginning few weeks of the weight loss process and then levels off... so I don't know for sure which is or isn't correct, if either.


Sorry for the confusion, the above comment was in reference to jem51's post and wasn't intended to be directed at you Luzamar.

/smile

[LUZAMAR]

I haven't found anyting in the forums about good or bad experience with Fibrates to lower Triglycerides, it doesn't seem to be a very popular prescription as opposed to Statins.
Has anyone use them, and if so, what should I expect?

[Korban]

I haven't found anyting in the forums about good or bad experience with Fibrates to lower Triglycerides, it doesn't seem to be a very popular prescription as opposed to Statins.
Has anyone use them, and if so, what should I expect?

I haven't used statins nor will I

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/05/08/medicine-s-dirty-little-secret.aspx?source=nl

/smile