How Do Triglycerides Get Into The Blood
When we eat foods containing triglycerides, such as meat, dairy products, cooking oils and fats, they are absorbed by our intestines and packaged into parcels of fats and protein called chylomicrons . These carry the triglycerides in the blood stream to our tissues to be used for energy straight away, or stored for later.
The body also makes its own supply of triglycerides in the liver. This form is carried in a different type of lipoprotein known as VLDL cholesterol.
Is Donating Blood Good For The Heart
Q. Are there any cardiovascular benefits to donating blood? Is it like getting an oil change for your car, with the donation getting rid of old blood cells and the body making new ones?
A. It would be terrific if doing good for others by donating blood was also good for you. But that doesnât seem to be the case. Physically, there is probably no hidden cardiovascular benefit to donating blood. In fact, the loss of red blood cells decreases the ability of your remaining blood to carry oxygen, at least until the bone marrow makes enough new red blood cells over the next two months. During that time, exercise might actually be a little more challenging. Some elite athletes, like cyclists, have taken advantage of this in a process called âautologous blood doping.â It works like this. An athlete has some blood removed and stored several months before an event. His or her body makes new blood cells to compensate. Just before the competition, the athlete is given back the stored blood. This boosts the bloodâs oxygen-carrying capacity well above what the athlete had been used to during the training period, and may provide a competitive edge.
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> > > Best Diabetes Solution Available
Type 2 diabetes causes the body to become resistant to the hormone insulin. This hormone unlocks cells. There are two types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. While both types of the disease can cause problems, you can minimize the impact by following healthy eating and being physically active. The sooner you know more about diabetes, the better prepared you will be to deal with it. Once you know more about the disease, youll be better prepared for treatment.
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that causes the body to produce too much insulin. It is also known as type 2 diabetes. If you have type 1, you can control your blood glucose levels by eating a balanced diet. If you have type 2 diabetes, you can even prevent it by adopting healthy lifestyle habits and modifying your diet. Its important to seek information that can help you be your own health advocate. There are many different types of diabetes, so its important to learn as much as you can about the condition.
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Can Diabetic People Donate Blood
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration does not have any regulatory restrictions against diabetics donating blood other than if the individual has received bovine source insulin since 1980. The concern here is not the diabetes but rather the bovine spongiform encephalopathy. As bovine source insulins were not widely available in the US, the diabetic would have had to specifically import it from Europe. Donors may mistake this deferral as being due to their having diabetes. Here is the FDA guidance (Each blood collection center in the US can have criteria more stringent that either the FDA and AABB so there is some variability among blood centers. At the collection center where I work, we allow donors with diabetes, whether controlled with diet, oral hypoglycemics, or insulin, to donate. The only instance where I can think where diabetes would have a negative affect on blood product and therefore an adverse effect on the patient would be in the rare instances where we collect granulocytes. If the donor had poor glucose control, this could impair neutrophil function. Since granulocyte donors are usually stimulated with corticosteroids, which would worsen glucose control, diabetics are deferred from granulocyte donation at my institution so this is not an issue.Continue reading > >
A Healthier Heart And Vascular System
Regular blood donation is linked to lower blood pressure and a lower risk for heart attacks. It definitely helps to reduce cardiovascular risk factors, says Dr. DeSimone.
Whats the connection? If your hemoglobin is too high, blood donation helps to lower the viscosity of the blood, which has been associated with the formation of blood clots, heart attacks, and stroke, Dr. DeSimone says. Interestingly, these benefits are more significant in men compared to women. We think maybe its because women have menstrual cycles, so they do it naturally without donating blood.
People with a condition called hereditary hemochromatosis must have blood removed regularly to prevent the buildup of iron. Fortunately, this blood can benefit others.
These are essentially healthy patients who are otherwise normal, but they have a gene mutation where they make too much blood, and they make too much normal blood, Dr. Vossoughi says. So we can use that blood.
The New York Blood Center Hereditary Hemochromatosis Program allows people with hemochromatosis to donate blood rather than have it removed and thrown away. Instead of having to go to a clinic or go to one of our phlebotomy centers every few months to reduce their blood volume, they can go to any local blood drive, Dr. Vossoughi says. That blood will then be used for somebody who needs it.
Dr. Sarah Vossoughi
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Lowers Risk Of Heart Disease
Another significant benefit is the opportunity to lower the risk of potential heart diseases, or even an impending heart attack.
Some studies suggest donating blood can decrease your chances of a heart attack by at least 88%. Other studies, like one conducted in 2013, found that donors who regularly donated blood benefited from lowered cholesterol. This is consistent with enhancing cardiovascular health.
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Can I Donate If I Have High Cholesterol
If you’re wondering, “Can I donate plasma if I have high cholesterol?“, the answer is yes. You are still able to donate despite your cholesterol worries. The filtration process helps to get the plasma only, and not the blood itself. Plus, the transfusion process during a routine blood donation dilutes it anyway. The donated blood would not have the same high cholesterol levels to worry about.
However, you do need to check with the facility you’re donating at to determine if any cholesterol medication you’re taking can affect things. Some can and may prohibit you for donating, or require a doctor’s note.
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Autoantibodies Which Attack People’s Own Proteins Cause Some Cases Of A Condition Known As Hypertriglyceridemia
- Date:
- University of California – Los Angeles Health Sciences
- Summary:
- People with hypertriglyceridemia often are told to change their diet and lose weight. But a high-fat diet isn’t necessarily the cause for everyone with the condition. Researchers have discovered a subset of people with hypertriglyceridemia whose bodies produce autoantibodies — immune-response molecules that attack their own proteins — causing high levels of triglycerides in the blood.
People with hypertriglyceridemia often are told to change their diet and lose weight. But a high-fat diet isn’t necessarily the cause for everyone with the condition.
UCLA researchers have discovered a subset of people with hypertriglyceridemia whose bodies produce autoantibodies — immune-response molecules that attack their own proteins — causing high levels of triglycerides in the blood.
Hypertriglyceridemia, which can increase risk of both cardiovascular disease and pancreatitis, is often caused by or exacerbated by uncontrolled diabetes or obesity. High plasma triglyceride levels can also be caused by mutations in a variety of genes that regulate triglyceride metabolism. However, despite decades of research and a growing understanding of triglyceride metabolism, most cases of hypertriglyceridemia are poorly understood.
“It’s important to recognize this new syndrome because it is life threatening and potentially treatable,” Young said. The study is published online in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Giving Blood Can Reveal Potential Health Problems
While it isnt the same thing as a trip to the doctor, donating blood can be another way to keep an eye on your cardiovascular health. Youll receive a mini-physical prior to the blood draw, in which someone will check your pulse, blood pressure, body temperature, hemoglobin and more. This can sometimes shed light on issues you didnt even know about.
If your blood is too low in iron, the clinic will tell you and wont draw your blood, says Jan Patenaude, dietician and certified LEAP therapist. They will also inform you of any other blood issues they notice or if anything seems unusual. An occasional check up on your blood quality could be the key to spotting a health issue before it becomes life-threatening.
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Side Effects After Donating Blood
There arenât any lasting side effects, but you may temporarily:
- Need to hydrate. Drink more non-alcoholic beverages for 24-48 hours after you donate blood.
- Need to take it easy. Donât work out or do any hard physical activity for 24 hours after giving blood.
- Feel lightheaded. Lie down for a few minutes until you feel ready to get back up.
- Have a little bit of bleeding from the spot where you donated. Raise your arm and apply pressure to that spot for a few minutes.
- If you have bruising in that area, use an ice pack on it.
Show Sources
American Red Cross: âBlood Facts and Statistics,â âIron Rich Foods,â âDonation Process,â âDonation FAQs,â âRed Cross Myth Busters: Tattoos and Blood Donation,â âRequirements by Donation Type,â âInfectious Disease, HLA and ABO Donor Qualification Testing.â
WHO: âWhy should I donate blood?â
AABB: âBlood Donation Process,â âBlood Donation FAQs.â
Community Blood Center: âDonation Process.â
Lifesouth.org: “Making Your Blood Donation Safe” .
Experts Say That Donating On A Regular Basis Will Lower Cholesterol Levels
How was the study performed revealing that blood donation could improve high cholesterol levels.
Participants had 10 mL of venous blood drawn from each of them, which was transferred into tubes and left to stand in room temperature until it clotted and retracted.
After this part of the experiment, the serum was separated and transferred into cryotubes then aliquoted and stored at -72 degrees celsius.
The results of the experiment were that Markers of increased cardiovascular risk appear to be lower in regular blood donors compared with non-donors as reflected by significantly lower total cholesterol and LDL levels.
Although HDL appears to be significantly higher in the non-donor population, the LDL/HDL ratio which is a better predictor of increased cardiovascular risk is lower in regular blood donors.
Meaning those who regularly donated blood showed signs of low cardiovascular risk along with low total cholesterol and LDL levels.
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Reported Health Benefits Of Giving Blood
The health benefits of blood donation include lowering your heart rate, your blood pressure, and weight. Some researchers have also found that donating your blood regularly can lower your cholesterol and triglyceride levels. It may seem to be an effective way to lower your lipid levels. After all, when you donate your blood, you are donating the lipids in your blood, too, right?
High Triglycerides And Low Mean Plasma Glucose Can Be Caused By Many Reasons
If your Triglycerides is in between 0 mg/dL and 150 mg/dL and your Mean plasma glucose is in between 0 mg/dL and 116 mg/dL then you need not worry as these are the normal ranges for Triglycerides and Mean plasma glucose respectively. But if your levels are lesser or greater than the above values, then there may be some problem in your body.
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It Helps Save Many People
Generally, plasma donation is helpful for someone who needs it the most and who suffers from severe health disorders like leukaemia, burns and dysfunctional organs. It becomes quite difficult to treat such a patient without injecting plasma into their body. So, it is very helpful as it saves the lives of people who are suffering from such chronic diseases.
Can You Give Blood If You Have High Cholesterol
This has become a very common question nowadays whether one can donate blood even if their cholesterol is high. The answer is yes, we can give blood even when we have high cholesterol. This is due to the fact that high cholesterol isnt some abnormal condition for a donor. When about 350/450ml blood is drawn from a donor & transfused it is diluted in the blood of the patient and level wont be that high.
Patient can metabolize it and lower it to actual level. But this depends on his or her metabolism process. It is similar to some patient who takes fatty food. If someone takes cholesterol-lowering medicines as prescribed by his doctor, then this does not at all interferes with ones ability to donate blood. If at all, one has high cholesterol along with coronary artery disease, he/she should convey their medical history to the doctor when they donate blood to ensure safety. It is usually found that the patient that earlier had a heart attack, bypass surgery or an angioplasty for at least 6 months prior and their medicines have not changed, can give blood. Similar is the case with patients who have had angina because hospitals generally need 6 months gap post an episode prior to blood donation.
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Kendsie Hunter: Can Diabetics Donate Blood Organs Or Plasma
Kendsie Hunter: Can Diabetics Donate Blood, Organs or Plasma? Being the people person that I am, I am always looking for a way to help others. However, when my friends recently went off to donate blood for a volunteer hour, I second-guessed my ability to help others. I know that I can volunteer in different ways, but it got me thinking: Ive just always assumed that because I have diabetes I am not able to donate blood, organs or plasma, but is there any truth to this way of thinking? I asked a Certified Diabetes Educator . (However, it is a different story for organs. Diabetics cannot donate organs while living. One of the reasons is the fact that as diabetics live longer, the disease in one way or another affects their organs. For example, kidney and heart disease are common among diabetics,Continue reading > >
What Are Some Of The Basic Qualifications
Every facility will have its own set of rules for plasma donation. You’ll tend to come across the same basic qualifications for most, though.
You may be disqualified if you’re currently pregnant, have recently had a piercing or tattoo, are currently sick, or even had dental work in the past 72 hours.
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What Are The Symptoms
High blood triglycerides usually do not cause any symptoms. Untreated or uncontrolled high blood triglyceride levels may increase your risk of serious complications such as coronary heart disease and stroke.
Very high blood triglycerides can raise the risk of acute pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas that causes severe pain in the abdomen.
Iron Levels Cholesterol And Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis is a condition of the arteries that is characterized by the deposition of fatty material on their inner walls. Medical experts have long hypothesized that stored iron in the body promotes the oxidation of cholesterol, the occurrence of which seems to be involved in atherosclerosis.
In fact, studies have found that even people with a high dietary intake of iron are more likely to suffer cardiovascular events because of this. The body stores instead of excreting it, which increases the likelihood that cholesterol will be deposited on artery walls.
Monthly menstruation ensures that women store less iron than men, which may explain why pre-menopausal women are less likely to suffer from atherosclerosis than men. By donating blood, men can shed some of their iron stores and thereby lower their risk of atherosclerosis.
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Health Benefits Of Getting A Cholesterol Screening During A Blood Donation
One of the health benefits of being a regular blood donor is receiving a cholesterol screening every time you give to help others live. There is both HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in your blood.
The cholesterol screening OneBlood provides is a combination of both the good HDL and bad LDL cholesterol present in your blood stream at the time you donate. Whereas it is not a diagnostic test done with fasting, it is a good indicator if you need to be concerned about a high level and seek medical follow up.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states: Total cholesterol levels less than 200 milligrams per deciliter are considered desirable for adults. A reading between 200 and 239 mg/dL is considered borderline high and a reading of 240 mg/dL and above is considered high. LDL cholesterol levels should be less than 100 mg/dL.
This is why, if your OneBlood cholesterol screening shows an elevated level, you should have a fasting cholesterol test performed by your doctor to determine your actual LDL/HDL ratio. Too much LDL cholesterol in your blood can increase your risk for heart attack and stroke.
The Mayo Clinic Staff states that the same heart-healthy lifestyle changes that can lower your cholesterol can help prevent you from having high cholesterol in the first place. To help prevent high cholesterol, you can: Eat a low-salt diet that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, and whole grains