Are high triglycerides alway cholesterol or could it be thyroid or diabetes?

[KatyMac]

Not convinced 'just' lowering my cholesterol is necessarily the best option for me

Worried there might be more wrong (well there is: cfs/fm/hmm etc - but maybe something new)

What can anyone tell me about high triglyceride?

Bump (despite poor English)

What cholesterol test did you get, exactly?
I only ask because DH has had both the 40+ one followed by fasting GP check, and he hasn't mentioned triglycerides at all.
His fasting total was about 7.3 but I seem to recall his ratio is very good, maybe 2.95?

The only modifiable lifestyle action for DH to work with is reducing saturated fat, so he's doing that for now.

Serum cholesterol level 6.47 mmol/L

Serum HDL cholesterol level
Serum HDL cholesterol level 0.86 mmol/L [1.15 - 1.68]; Below low reference limit
Serum cholesterol/HDL ratio 7.52

Serum LDL cholesterol level Not calculated; Calculation of LDL Cholesterol is invalid as
Triglyceride is greater than 4.5 mmol/L. Please
ensure fasts of >12 hours for future lipid requests.

Serum triglyceride levels 5.25 mmol/L [0.3 - 2.3]; Above high reference limit

Non HDL Cholesterol 5.61 mmol/L

I think these are the relevant results

That is a very high triglyceride level. Had you fasted for 12 hours before that test? Total fast, only water?

I have high Cholesterol, but unable to take Statins or other Cholesterol drugs.

I have had a lot of investigations, including genetic testing, and have been told by a Consultant that mine is due to an issue with the receptors on my Liver.

I achieve some control by managing my weight (mid Healthy BMI) and by not eating dairy, gluten or sugar.

Removing sugar from my diet (I still eat Bananas and Blueberries) halved my Triglycerides from 3.22 to 1.6.

If I was you I would be asking for repeat tests, making sure you strictly follow the fasting requirement. If the results come at similar levels I would ask for a referral so the causes can be investigated.

Good luck. I hope your current results are just an anomaly.

Well it wasn't supposed to be a fasting test so I hadn't- but because of bad planning I had only managed about 2 mouthfuls of (black with sugar) tea as I overslept and was rushing - I took a sandwich to eat after the blood test because of it

I have so many intolerances and foods I cant eat soi am concerned about this

They don't do fasting tests now, and I can't get a blood test til after 3pm.

yes pp is right they no longer require fasting tests for cholesterol. I have a condition called hypertryglicerideamia or something like that 🤦🏻‍♀️

my cholesterol was 9.6
my good cholesterol always fine
bad always fine
tryglicerides 5.6

I was a bmi 26

anyway I was referred to lipid clinic and was started in atorvasratin 40mg but it gnawed (only way to describe the feeling) at my stomach so was switched to rosuvastatin 10mg.

three months later my cholesterol was 4 something but tryglicerides still high so was put on a low dose fibrate as well fenofibrate 67mg.

I have a perfect lipid profile now 😇

this started when I was about 40 I think - always a little high readings but my ratio was always good until last time when it wasn't. I was always fit as well and my diet while not perfect was not bad.

im 50 now and the medication started at 48

Interesting; I do have a bad diet and my relationship with exercise could be better and my bmi fluctuates between 24.5 and 26

I've been 'more' ill since i had covid last year - i say more ill because i have chronic fatigue & fibromyalgia and im having investigations because i have a dry mouth and cough (since easter)

The triglycerides result hasn't been mentioned by the GP - do you think I should bring it up?

I've just been told to reduce my cholesterol by diet - which is going to be pretty hard tbh

I would expect a repeat test in 6 months to see if they've come down and if not def a referral to lipid clinic

Tell me more about the non fasting cholestorol testing please!

I often wonder how yesterday it was imperative to fast, but today not. I am sure someone will kindly explain. Maybe it is a new type of test or something.

NHS health check does a fingerprick version for cholesterol levels. No fasting in that one. DH tested 7.5.

Thanks. Are the results the same as a fasting test? If so why all the palaver about fasting? I must be missing something, and I must tell my GP about this too!

They won't be the same, no. We want to know if they're artificially high due to eating or are actually that high. My gp won't let me do a fasting test as they don't do them anymore. Not sure what NICE guidelines say.

DH doesn't have triglyceride numbers from his GP-organised-with-fasting test. he does have TG results from a fasting finger prick (private company) test a few years ago.

His TG:HDL ratio was endurance athlete level good (0.47 to 1), just that his LDL was a little high making his total high. I'm reading (hope this is true) that the TG numbers are what matters, especially that ratio.

How likely is it that black tea with sugar (less than half a mug) would affect the results