Triglycerides are a type of fat found in the blood. Most of your body's fat is stored as triglycerides.
Your doctor has probably tested your blood for cholesterol
at various times. This lipid, or fat, test measures your total cholesterol, HDL
("good") cholesterol, LDL ("bad") cholesterol,
and your triglycerides. Your triglyceride level can tell your doctor a lot
about your health.Sources of Triglycerides
Food is one source of triglycerides. Your liver also produces them. If you
eat extra calories-especially carbohydrates-your liver increases the production
of triglycerides. The excess triglycerides that you consume-or that your body
creates-are stored in fat cells for later use. When they're needed, your body
releases them as fatty acids, which fuel body movement, create heat, and
provide energy for body processes.
What is a Healthy Triglyceride Level?
For good health, your triglyceride level should be less than 150 mg/dL,
according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Border-line high
levels are 150 to 199 mg/dL; high is 200 to 499 mg/dL; and very high is 500
mg/dL and greater.
Health Conditions and Risks Associated with High Triglycerides
Triglycerides and other fats in your blood travel via special carriers
called lipoproteins. A high triglyceride level can be cause for concern because
some lipoproteins that are rich in triglycerides also contain cholesterol. This
can lead to atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries) in people with high
triglycerides. A person with high triglycerides often has other risk factors
for heart disease,
such as a low HDL level or diabetes.
Very high levels of triglycerides are associated with inflammation of the
pancreas. People who are overweight or obese frequently have higher than normal
levels of triglycerides. All these conditions may increase your risk for
developing heart disease or of having a heart attack
or stroke.
Lifestyle Changes
Fortunately, lifestyle changes may help you manage your triglyceride levels
and other risk factors for heart disease.
Get regular exercise, and if you're overweight, lose weight. Making the
following adjustments to your diet also may help:
- Consume less saturated fat.
- Limit fat calories to less than 30 percent of your total caloric intake.
- Eat foods high in omega-3 fatty acids. These fats, found in fish, play a role in helping keep triglycerides down.
- Get 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day.
- Cut back on alcohol. Talk with your doctor about how much, if any, alcohol you should consume.
If exercise and changes in your diet don't lower your triglyceride level,
your doctor may recommend medication.
Triglycerides are the chemical form taken by most of the fat in our bodies
and our diet, and they're important because they provide energy the body needs.
The fats, carbohydrates, and proteins we eat are converted in the body into
simple triglyceride molecules and repackaged with special proteins called
lipoproteins, which ferry the triglycerides to the cells. Blood triglyceride
levels spike right after we eat, when these triglyceride/lipoprotein packages
get dumped into the bloodstream. Levels drop over the next few hours as the
triglycerides are taken up and used for energy. Those not needed immediately
are transported to fat cells for storage.
Excessive triglycerides are not good for the arteries. Research has found
links between high triglyceride levels and a high risk of stroke
and heart disease,
especially in postmenopausal women.
Some people have an inherited predisposition to high triglycerides. Other
contributing factors are obesity, excessive alcohol use, a diet high in
saturated fats, and various medical conditions, such as poorly controlled diabetes,
low thyroid hormone, or chronic kidney or liver disease.
Triglyceride levels can also be raised by certain medications, including
prednisone, estrogens used in oral contraceptives or hormone therapy, thiazide
diuretics, isotretinoin (Accutane), tamoxifen, and some beta blockers.
It makes sense to try to lower triglycerides to normal levels, that is,
below 150 milligrams per deciliter. If there are medical reasons for your high
triglycerides, you'll need to work with your clinician to address them,
possibly with medications. If not, concentrate on lifestyle strategies,
including a diet that emphasizes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and healthy
fats. Also, get at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous-intensity exercise
most days, and keep your alcohol intake to a minimum.
If lifestyle changes don't work, or if your triglyceride level is very high,
you may need to take a medication, such as niacin, gemfibrozil (Lopid,
generic), or fenofibrate (Antara, TriCor, others).
source:bettermedicine.com
