Blood normally contains fats (lipids) which include triglycerides. In the body, fats are important for several reasons, for example, as an energy store and source, as components of cell membranes, insulators and so forth.
Due to genetic or environmental abnormalities or a combination of both abnormalities blood levels of triglycerides can become abnormally increased – hypertriglyceridemia.
On drawing blood from a person with severe hypertriglyceridemia it appears cloudy because of the high concentration of triglycerides; in appearance, the blood resembles cream of tomato soup.
Severe hypertriglyceridemia is associated with increased risk of having heart attack, inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) and other ailments.
Reference:
Tremblay K, Méthot J, Brisson D, Gaudet D. Etiology and risk of lactescent plasma and severe hypertriglyceridemia. J Clin Lipidol, 2011 5(1):37-44. Go to reference
Tomato soup, triglyceride
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