Is this what caused my DVT...??

[DandyDon]

After surviving a clogged vein that probably would have killed most people - the way I ignored it for a week, went diving and all, (Good thing I'm tough, lucky, and knew to take lots and lots of aspirin) I got more serious about medical check-ups I'd avoided for years. Colon exam was fine, EKG was fine, but my blood tests turned up high Cholesterol, or so I thought the nurse said when she told me to pick up a prescription at my preferred pharmacy.

But it wasn't that my Cholesterol was over 500 - anything over 200 there is "very high." It was my Triglyceride level that was over 500. Just "very high" but not as dramatic as the other. (see chart below) But with exercise, more moderate dining, and the meds, got it knocked down to 150 in a month.

Don't wanta' push my luck any more, tho. Safer driving, safe living, safer diving - nag my friends who need a little push...

Triglyceride Level Classification
Less than 150 mg/dL: Normal
150–199 mg/dL: Borderline-high
200–499 mg /dL: High
500 mg/dL or higher: Very high

Many people with high triglycerides have underlying diseases or genetic disorders. If this is true for you, the main therapy is to change your lifestyle. This includes controlling your weight, eating foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol, exercising regularly, not smoking and, in some cases, drinking less alcohol. People with high triglycerides may also need to limit their intake of carbohydrates to no more than 45–50 percent of total calories. The reason for this is that carbohydrates raise triglycerides in some people and lower HDL cholesterol. Use products with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

 

[TSandM]

There are basically three factors that contribute to the development of DVT. Damage to the endothelium (the inner lining of the veins, which has to be smooth and free of injury to allow blood to flow without clotting), stasis (poor flow states, usually caused by immobility as in patients in the hospital, or people on long airplane flights), and increased coagulability (which occurs in some people with genetic clotting disorders, or in conditions causing very high viscosity which impedes flow).

If your triglycerides are only around 500, it is unlikely that this was a major contributing factor to your DVT. Sometimes we never do identify the precipitants.