Low triglycerides

[Hiitsme]

Just had my test results back. HbA1c is 33 again so happy with that.
But my triglyceride 0.49 is marked as abnormal. Range 0.80-2.00. Doctor did not mention it and only found out when I went though all the results. Does anyone understand this?

 

[13lizanne]

@Hiitsme your result of 33 is wonderful, Congratulations! The lowest I've achieved is 40 Hopefully someone will come along soon who can help with your triglyceride question. Try not to worry, what you have achieved in such a short time is nothing short of miraculous. Well done my friend

 

[SunnyExpat]

Low triglyceride can be caused by several things.
What have you done to reduce your HbA1c though, as this can lower your triglycerides temporarily,

 

[ickihun]

@Brunneria has more insight than me on triglycerides. I hope she can help too.

 

[Brunneria]

Well, my basic understanding is that trigs are at least partially affected by food prior to the test (while LDL and HDL are, by and large not). So was the test fasting? Unless a cholesterol test is fasting, the dietary trigs mess things up, and raise your total cholesterol.

We have had people posting here to say that their trigs have been hugely elevated by all-you-can-eat-and-drink holidays, and their nurse has said

'just been on hol? stuffed your face? That is why your trigs are so high. Come back in 3 weeks and we will test again.'​

So presumably if you have been dieting or strictly controlling carbs, alcohol and/or fat (not sure about the fat part, actually) then I would expect trigs to drop - for the length of the diet, but they are going to rise again as soon as you re-feed carbs.

Sikaris, in one of his you tube videos says that if you have raised trigs, it is a good indicator of a fatty liver, either alcoholic, or not. He says aim for trigs below 1.0 if I remember correctly.

I am tempted to tell you how envious I am that you have such low trigs, but in all honesty I do not know if there is a minimum level for them to be healthy.

It took me a year and transitioning down from LC at 50-80g to VLC at 30-40g carbs a day to lower my trigs from 1.1 to below 0.9.

 

[SunnyExpat]

Fat raises trigs, and there is a minimum level considered healthy, but many lifestyle changes affect the spot reading, so we need a bit more lifestyle information.

 

[Hiitsme]

Low triglyceride can be caused by several things.
What have you done to reduce your HbA1c though, as this can lower your triglycerides temporarily,

My HbA1c was 33 last August. I've kept diet almost the same but taking a few more ricks and finding what I can eat. I am walking a lot more so that I can eat more as I like my food. A lot of veg, protein from eggs, cheese, fish, chicken and occasional red meat. Very small amounts of potato and occasional small amounts of rice or pasta. Bread is mostly Lidl rolls or Livlife bread, Walking is often about 7 miles a day. No other exercise. My BMI is 19.6 so at the very low end of normal. When diagnosed it was 25 so at the very top end of normal. My weight has been stable for almost 9 months and I am trying to keep it there. I now think doctor must think I am under weight as I've just read the bone scan form he wants me to have which says low MBI.

 

[ickihun]

The higher the triglyceride level the lower the HDL level (good cholesterol).
Therefore lower triglyceride level = high HDL good cholesterol level.
Can you have too good a cholesterol level?
Triglycerides are a form of dietary fat found in meats, dairy produce and cooking oils. ... It usually takes a few hours for triglyceride levels to return to normal. When triglycerides are cleared from the blood less quickly, less cholesterol is transferred to HDL particles.
Sluggish fat has less chance of becoming good cholesterol!

Other fats.
Brown fat the bad fat which blocks insulin isn't cholesterol but fat produced by the body through energy not being used up from diet. I think!

 

[Hiitsme]

Well, my basic understanding is that trigs are at least partially affected by food prior to the test (while LDL and HDL are, by and large not). So was the test fasting? Unless a cholesterol test is fasting, the dietary trigs mess things up, and raise your total cholesterol.

We have had people posting here to say that their trigs have been hugely elevated by all-you-can-eat-and-drink holidays, and their nurse has said

'just been on hol? stuffed your face? That is why your trigs are so high. Come back in 3 weeks and we will test again.'​

So presumably if you have been dieting or strictly controlling carbs, alcohol and/or fat (not sure about the fat part, actually) then I would expect trigs to drop - for the length of the diet, but they are going to rise again as soon as you re-feed carbs.

Sikaris, in one of his you tube videos says that if you have raised trigs, it is a good indicator of a fatty liver, either alcoholic, or not. He says aim for trigs below 1.0 if I remember correctly.

I am tempted to tell you how envious I am that you have such low trigs, but in all honesty I do not know if there is a minimum level for them to be healthy.

It took me a year and transitioning down from LC at 50-80g to VLC at 30-40g carbs a day to lower my trigs from 1.1 to below 0.9.

Thanks @Brunneria I had tried to slightly reduce the fat for the couple of weeks before the test as I didn't want another lecture on Statins. Otherwise diet was normal for me. I don't very low carb but probably less than 100 a day, could be a lot less as I haven't been weighing foods for a few months. I just eat to my meter. I have been trying to add extra carbs to see what happens but am taking this very slowly and carefully. I did know not to have alcohol the day before but otherwise I do have a very small glass of red wine most days.

 

[SunnyExpat]

My HbA1c was 33 last August. I've kept diet almost the same but taking a few more ricks and finding what I can eat. I am walking a lot more so that I can eat more as I like my food. A lot of veg, protein from eggs, cheese, fish, chicken and occasional red meat. Very small amounts of potato and occasional small amounts of rice or pasta. Bread is mostly Lidl rolls or Livlife bread, Walking is often about 7 miles a day. No other exercise. My BMI is 19.6 so at the very low end of normal. When diagnosed it was 25 so at the very top end of normal. My weight has been stable for almost 9 months and I am trying to keep it there. I now think doctor must think I am under weight as I've just read the bone scan form he wants me to have which says low MBI.

Low BMI can cause low trigs, in a situation similar to borderline malnutrition, as there is no spare fat on your body, so you use all the fat you eat/manufacture as trigs from carbs, and you are burning energy with the 7 mile walk. Very low fat diet can, but you're obviously ok there. Statins can force them down as well.

There are other medical reasons, but you're not too far below the minimum, and it's easily possible you just have a very good balance of energy in = energy out, so you're using the trigs and clearing them quickly, and trickling more in, rather than overloading in one go.

So long as your feel ok, still have enough energy, don't feel tired, I'd carry on doing what you are doing.

 

[Hiitsme]

Low BMI can cause low trigs, in a situation similar to borderline malnutrition, as there is no spare fat on your body, so you use all the fat you eat/manufacture as trigs from carbs, and you are burning energy with the 7 mile walk. Very low fat diet can, but you're obviously ok there. Statins can force them down as well.

There are other medical reasons, but you're not too far below the minimum, and it's easily possible you just have a very good balance of energy in = energy out, so you're using the trigs and clearing them quickly, and trickling more in, rather than overloading in one go.

So long as your feel ok, still have enough energy, don't feel tired, I'd carry on doing what you are doing.

Thanks @SunnyExpat
I'm not low fat diet, when I was recording exactly what I was eating it was well over 50% fat. I do feel lacking in energy but thought this was diabetes or my age. May cut the walking a bit.

 

[Hiitsme]

The higher the triglyceride level the lower the HDL level (good cholesterol).
Therefore lower triglyceride level = high HDL good cholesterol level.
Can you have too good a cholesterol level?
Triglycerides are a form of dietary fat found in meats, dairy produce and cooking oils. ... It usually takes a few hours for triglyceride levels to return to normal. When triglycerides are cleared from the blood less quickly, less cholesterol is transferred to HDL particles.
Sluggish fat has less chance of becoming good cholesterol!

Other fats.
Brown fat the bad fat which blocks insulin isn't cholesterol but fat produced by the body through energy not being used up from diet. I think!

Thanks @ickihun
I think I'm very pleased with my results. I had got very stressed as I had been told to phone last Tuesday for the results and the receptionist told me she couldn't tell me, so obviously there was something wrong and I would have to speak to the doctor. I was petrified going in there this morning.

 

[Shar67]

Hyperthyroidism can cause low trigs. I have spend the last year trying to lowering mine, mainly by becoming a lapsing vegetarian (sometimes eat a bit of turkey and I eat white fish) I was diagnosed with non Alcholic fatty liver last year and was very pleased to get below 100 from 400, I have other liver issues, due to problem with common bile duct but getting trigs down was helpful. GP tests my thyroid every blood test. My cholesterol was 5.8 and has been for years, I was given statins but had an allergic reaction, both my dad and brother have high cholesterol between 13 & 15 both also allergic to statins, I told GP I would do best to lower it but looking at family it could be worse.

 

[noblehead]

Just had my test results back. HbA1c is 33 again so happy with that.
But my triglyceride 0.49 is marked as abnormal. Range 0.80-2.00. Doctor did not mention it and only found out when I went though all the results. Does anyone understand this?

Are you sure it's marked 'abnormal'?

My trigs over the last few years have ranged from 0.5-0.7 and my consultant says they are excellent levels. The upper figure for trigs for people with diabetes is 1.7mmol/l so not sure where your Dr got the 2.0mmol/l from:

Blood fats (lipids)
Lipids are the cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood. Cholesterol is a type of fat found in all of us. You may be familiar with the term blood cholesterol, but what you may not know is that not all cholesterol is bad. Some of it, HDL (high density lipoprotein), can actually protect against heart disease. Low levels of this protective HDL cholesterol increase your risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol is the bad form of cholesterol in the blood. Triglycerides are another type of fat in the blood. If you have raised cholesterol and raised triglycerides you have an increased risk of CVD.

• Your total cholesterol level should be below 4.0mmol/l.
• LDL levels should be less than 2.0mmol/l.
• HDL levels should be 1.0mmol/l or above in men and 1.2mmol/l or above in women.
• Triglyceride levels should be 1.7mmol/l or less.

If you do not know your lipid levels, ask your healthcare team to arrange a simple blood test for you.

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Monitoring/Testing/

 

[ickihun]

Thanks @ickihun
I think I'm very pleased with my results. I had got very stressed as I had been told to phone last Tuesday for the results and the receptionist told me she couldn't tell me, so obviously there was something wrong and I would have to speak to the doctor. I was petrified going in there this morning.

@Hiitsme that has happened to me when waiting for my hba1c result. No sleep that night before to find gp was delighted with such a change in 3 months. Gits!

 

[Brunneria]

Here you go.
Most has been said above, but this came from www.Livestrong.com

Triglycerides are lipids made by the body as a storage form for unused calories taken in through diet. These lipids are stored in the cells as fat until they are required as a source of energy through their breakdown. High levels of triglycerides, according to the American Heart Association, are associated with the development of atherosclerosis -- the hardening of the arteries, heart disease and stroke. Low triglyceride levels, while not common, deprive the body of energy and are an indication of an underlying pathology.

How Much Is Low?
A low triglyceride level is considered less then 50mg/dl and less then 35mg/dl is considered severely low. A triglyceride blood test is the best way to figure out your level. The blood test is performed after an eight- to 12-hour period of fasting to give the most accurate results. It is important to know certain medications cause abnormal test results. Please discuss the medications you are taking with your health care professional before performing the blood test.

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Low-Fat Diet
A low-fat diet will give you low triglycerides. If you are not obtaining fats, or excess calories in your diet through carbohydrates, your body does not have enough substrate to make triglycerides and store fat. Diet plans that limit the intake of foods containing fat lower your triglyceride levels.

Malabsorption
Malabsorption is a general term used to refer to a variety of different medical conditions that prevent the body from obtaining vitamins, fats and nutrients when ingested through the gastrointestinal tract. Similar to a low-fat diet, the body does not receive required amounts of fat adequate to maintain a functional level of energy production.

Medications
Medications also cause low triglyceride levels. Certain medications, including those meant for lowering triglycerides, can cause your level to go too low. Ascorbic acid or vitamin C, Gemfibrozil or Lopid, a lipid lowering medication, and fish oil are just a few. Please discuss the medications and their impact on your triglyceride levels with you health care professional.

Thank you for starting this thread - i have learned a lot!

 

[Hiitsme]

Hi @noblehead
It's on a copy of the printout from the lab to the doctor. I had read your quote and was surprised that mine stated "abnormal" against the figure. I was also surprised that the upper limit was quoted as 2 as I had understood 1.7 was the upper limit. I can't see a lower limit on my previous printout, so this may be new? My previous trigs were 0.8 which I had been happy with and so had the doctor. He did not mention my trig figure to me and it was only when I got home and looked through all the pages I found it. The more I read the happier I am with it. I'm not malnourished but my weight is towards the lower end of normal. It was getting my weight down that helped control my blood sugars so I don't want to put any weight on nor do I want to lose any more. My doctor had told me when first diagnosed low fat and high carbs, and from reading on the web no fat or minimal fat can cause low trigs. I used my meter to find what I could and couldn't eat so didn't follow his advice, but I had told him I had needed to reduce the carbs and he had seemed pleased at the time. I am not following any low fat diet but do try to eat the good fats most of the time.

 

[noblehead]

@Hiitsme, I'm not sure if there's a lower figure (or what it is), I'm a type 1 so get seen by a diabetes consultant at my local hospital, we normally go through my blood & urine test results and discuss if they are fine or not, as said when my trigs have been 0.5 they've never said they are too low, however I'm a male so unsure if it's different for you lady's.

 

[Hiitsme]

Thanks @Shar67
My Serum TSH (which I think is Thyroid) 1.77 mu/L reference 0.27-4.20 so that would seem normal.

 

[LucySW]

I've never heard of it being a problem having too low triglycerides. Are you sure it really is a problem? Serious googling called for, I think.