"grossly lipemic" sample - High Cholesterol Message Board

mccoll67 · 09-11-2006, 06:36 PM

could not distinguish between HDL and LDL because sample was "grossly lipemic"

what does that mean? It doesn't sound good!

NHone · 09-11-2006, 11:19 PM

It sounds like u need a retest.

plasva · 09-11-2006, 11:40 PM

How long did you fast before having the blood drawn? You didn't happen to eat fast-food beforehand, did you?

If your blood was lipemic, that means after they spun it down, instead of clear plasma, yours was visibly cloudy (from lipids). If it's very lipemic, it could mean the test won't be accurate. This means either you need to fast (nothing to eat/drink besides water) for a longer period of time before having your blood drawn again or, due to genetics, etc., it's normal for YOU to have lipemic blood. But that doesn't mean a diet/lifestyle or medication change can't help....

Lenin · 09-12-2006, 07:21 AM

mcoll,

It means you have a HUGE overabundance of triglycerides in your blood.

Sometimes after a very fatty meal, a blood draw can be almost milky looking from the gross amounts of fat that it is carrying. This "gross lipemia" is often in the triglyceride range well over 1,000 or even 2,000 mg/dL. Were they able to measure your triglycerides? THey SHOULD have been able to.

Have a retest with a strict 14 hour fast. If you get the same numbers you will need intervention, probably drug intervention.

It MIGHT have meant something more common though: "triglycerides over 400 do not allow for the testing of LDL." If so, then the lab was somewhat overstating the case with the word "grossly."

mccoll67 · 09-12-2006, 09:06 AM

Thanks, you guys!

I had 1 pint of Dreyer's ice cream at 10pm-10:20, then had the blood draw at 11:30 a.m. the next morning.

I think that will be the last ice cream I eat in a long while.

My triglycerides were 2800. I just got the results on Saturday from a blood test Friday. I see the GP today at 2:00 pm.

This wasn't the first time I got the 'grossly lipemic' message from the lab. I had some other test a few months back and they said 'grossly lipemic.' I emailed my doctor asking what that meant and she didn't reply so I figured it was not important.

I have been eating a high fat and high sugar diet. I have pretty much eaten whatever I wanted with no consideration as to its impact on me. I had gained 70 pounds in 3-4 years. I used to be in Overeaters Anonymous but gave it up for a variety of reasons. This is a huge wakeup call.....

Thanks for your input!