Kathy,
Triglycerides sure do contribute towards your cholesterol levels, because approximately one-fifth of
triglycerides is made up of VLDL. As you can see by the way total cholesterol is calculated,
triglycerides can skew your lipid profile
and worsen your ratios:
TC = LDL + HDL + (trigs/5)
Since you said that you are already taking a number of different medications, I can understand why you are hesitant to throw Zetia
and Tricor into the mix. You also said you are taking BCP (
birth control pills?). That can also worsen your cholesterol numbers.
And so can hypothyroidism, if that's what your problem is. Usually,
triglycerides can be lowered by reducing your carbohydrate
and sugar intake. Of particular importance are the high glycemic carbs, such as starches like breads, pasta, potatoes, corn, etc,
and many of the snack foods out there. Also try to avoid or limit those foods that contain trans-fats (partially hydrogenated fats
and oils).
Have you tried to lower your
triglycerides through dietary changes? If not, you may want to try this first. Try not to worry about ALL of your numbers all at once. You'll make yourself crazy. Focus on one thing first, like getting your
triglycerides down. The type of diet that is most successful at accomplishing this is a low-carb diet. As
triglycerides come down, HDL levels generally rise. This combined effect can favorably impact your numbers all around,
and improve your ratios. A low-fat diet, on the other hand, will likely make things worse in your case, because it includes a lot of carbohydrates. So I would try this first,
and see how things work out.
As far as Zetia
and Tricor are concerned, I would wait until I've seen what kind of an impact the dietary changes made first. I think Zetia is probably far safer than Tricor,
and is unlikely to cause serious side effects. I would consider Tricor only IF I was unable to lower my
triglycerides by more natural means. But I think if you made such dietary changes by taking a disciplined approach to decreasing carbohydrate intake, you should be able to significantly reduce your
triglycerides and improve things all around.
I wouldn't skimp on supplements either. Make sure that you take a good multi-vitamin supplement,
and take additional antioxidants, such as vitamins C
and E. Chromium picolinate may also be of help.
And I would certainly supplement with fish oil as well. Fish oil can reduce your risk of developing heart disease even better than statins,
and it can also lower
triglycerides. I wish you much luck
and success. Keep us posted on how things turn out.
