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What does an increase in trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) mean?
Cancer | Last Active: Jul 23, 2022 | Replies (7)Comment receiving replies
Thank you so much. This was her yearly wellness exam. Her triglycerides were slightly elevated for the first time and that huge jump with the TMAO….everything else was excellent. Her calcium was also excellent (not sure if that is what you were referring to or not).
Replies to "Thank you so much. This was her yearly wellness exam. Her triglycerides were slightly elevated for..."
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Hi @tne, that was quite a jump in the tmao number and since it’s a relatively new test (since 2015-ish) it’s interesting her PCP ordered it as part of a routine annual and then isn’t raising an eyebrow with the elevated level. Have you asked them about that particular result? Again, this is way out of my area of experience so maybe it’s a non-issue.
During this past year has your wife’s diet changed to include more meats and dairy products? Those were on the list of items that can increase tmao level that I posted for you yesterday.
The triglyceride levels can often (not always) be lowered through diet and exercise as well. Here’s the Mayo Clinic informational site on that subject. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/triglycerides/art-20048186
The calcium test I as referring to is a Coronary Artery Calcium Score test. It’s a noninvasive scan using computed tomography to measure the quantity of calcium deposits in the heart, especially deposits in the coronary arteries.
An increase in deposits contributes to narrowing in the arteries and a reduction in heart function, which can lead to a heart attack.
There’s a heart clinic in my city that offers these for anyone for about $50. It was just a phone call to set up the appointment and we didn’t need to be patients of the clinic. My husband and I have both had them and I know most cardiac clinics in larger cities will offer patients this test.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/heart-scan/about/pac-20384686
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https://www.mayoclinic.org/medical-professionals/cardiovascular-diseases/news/coronary-artery-calcium-score-are-we-doing-too-many-or-too-few/mcc-20438011
From my experience if your wife’s other blood work results are excellent it doesn’t sound like there’s much to worry about. She might try following the guidelines for reducing tmao and triglycerides to see if it makes a change for next year. If either of you are concerned about future heart disease, the Calcium Score Test (scan) is a great tool to help predict future potential issues. You sound very proactive with your health, do you think this is something you might look into?