Increase Your Fiber Intake
Fiber helps regulate the food absorbed and passed through your body, and high-fiber foods can significantly lower both your triglycerides and LDL cholesterol.
Both soluble and insoluble fibers help lower triglycerides. Soluble fiber binds the excess triglycerides like a gel, making it easier for the body to excrete it. It also reduces and slows down the absorption of fats and sugars.
Insoluble fiber helps control hunger pangs and increases the absorption of nutrients from your food, helping enormously if you are trying to lose weight.
- Eat foods high in soluble fiber such as oatmeal, bananas, peas, and strawberries.
- Eat foods high in insoluble fiber such as whole grains, whole-wheat products, beans, greens, and many vegetables.
Note:
What Are The Risks Linked To High Cholesterol
Too much LDL cholesterol in the blood can increase your risk of heart and blood vessel disease .
The excess LDL cholesterol leads to fatty deposits called plaque forming in the artery walls. Over time, the plaque causes narrowing and hardening of the arteries .
This can lead to:
- Angina when plaque builds up in the major arteries that supply your heart, known as the coronary arteries, they become narrower and are partially blocked, reducing blood flow and oxygen supply to the heart. This may cause shortness of breath and chest pain.
- Heart attack if a plaque in a coronary artery bursts , a clot may form and block the supply of blood to the heart, starving it of oxygen.
- Stroke if the blood vessels that supply the brain become narrower or blocked by plaque, blood supply to the brain can be severely reduced or cut off, causing a stroke. Strokes can also be caused when a clot from another part of the body travels through the blood and lodges in an artery in the brain.
- Peripheral vascular disease this usually affects the arteries that supply the legs and feet, causing leg pain when walking , and even pain when resting, when the circulation is more badly affected
A high level of HDL cholesterol is good because HDL cholesterol helps remove other forms of cholesterol from the blood, taking them back to the liver where they’re removed from the blood and passed out of the body.
Healthy Fats Can Help Lower Cholesterol
Replace unhealthy fats, such as saturated and trans fats, with monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. To eat more omega-3 fats, include fatty fish, flaxseed or ground flax, and walnuts in your eating plan. The oils that contain omega-3 fats are olive and canola oils. The ADA recommends eating two servings of omega-3-rich fish per week as part of a heart-healthy diet. The oils high in omega-6 fats are corn, soybean, and sunflower oils.
Eat less of these unhealthful fats:
— Saturated fat: The biggest food contributor to elevated LDL cholesterol is saturated fat. To remedy the cause-and-effect relationship between saturated fat and LDL, the ADA recommends limiting saturated-fat intake to less than 7 percent of your daily calories. So if you’re trying to eat no more than 2,000 calories a day, that would mean eating no more than 140 calories from saturated fat daily, or 15 grams of saturated fat.
— Trans fat: The ADA also recommends avoiding foods that contain trans fat. Although many restaurants and manufacturers advertise products as having zero trans fat, if the ingredients include shortening, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, or hydrogenated vegetable oil, the food likely contains trans fat. Labels are not required to list trans fat if the total is less than 0.5 grams per serving. Eating multiple servings of such foods means trans-fat intake can add up.
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Medications For High Triglycerides
Many people who have high cholesterol also have high triglycerides . Some medications can help lower this type of fat directly. Once these levels go down, the total amount of cholesterol is often lowered.
A common prescription for high triglycerides is niacin or vitamin B-3. Niacin can help lower bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol .
This is a good option for people who dont respond well to other medications because the side effects of niacin are mild. People taking this medication might experience the following:
- flushing of the face
- nausea
When more aggressive treatment is necessary to treat high triglycerides, a class of medications called fibrates is often prescribed.
Also, dietary supplements of omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil have been shown to reduce triglyceride levels.
Reduce Your Intake Of Saturated And Trans Fats
Adopt and follow a healthy diet thats low in saturated and trans fats. A diet high in these fats can raise levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood.
Saturated fat is usually solid at room temperature. Its found in animal products such as meat and dairy, but also in palm oil, coconut oil and full-cream milk. Read more about saturated fat-rich foods here.
Trans fats are found in store-bought baked goods, snack foods and deep-fried foods. There is strong evidence that trans fats increase levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood, while decreasing levels of HDL cholesterol.
Some foods contain cholesterol . Foods that contain cholesterol include liver, pate, kidneys, prawns and egg yolks. These types of food are not usually eaten in large quantities, so its OK to include them in your diet in small amounts.
Foods that contain saturated fats have a greater effect on blood cholesterol levels than foods that contain dietary cholesterol.
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How Long Does It Take To Lower Triglycerides
Depending on whats causing your high triglyceride levels, you may be able to lower them in just a few days. A night out drinking or eating foods high in sugar can cause a spike in your triglyceride levels. Limiting alcohol and sugar intake can bring your levels back to normal within a few days.
If you have consistently high triglycerides, it may take a few months for them to return to a healthy range. How fast they lower depends on the lifestyle changes, diet, and medications youre taking.
Statin Use Among Children
Several statins are approved by the FDA for use in children. Some are approved for children over 8 years of age and others for children at least 10 years of age. Approved statins include: atorvastatin , fluvastatin , lovastatin , pravastatin , rosuvastatin , and simvastatin .
Statins are usually used to treat children with genetic conditions that cause hyperlipidemia, which is an excess of lipids like cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. Short term studies in children show some improvement in measures like LDL cholesterol, blood flow, and thickness of the artery walls. However, statin research has not studied children for more than 2 years, so we dont know the long-term risks of statins for children, or if treatment in childhood actually improves health over a longer period of time or into adulthood. We also dont know which of the statins work better in children.
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Health Conditions Related To Triglycerides And Cholesterol
High blood lipid levels may increase your risk for plaques to develop in your arteries or thicken the walls of your arteries .
Other health conditions related to high triglycerides or cholesterol include:
- High blood sugar levels or diabetes
- Metabolic syndromea cluster of conditions that increase your risk for heart disease
- Hypothyroidism
- Genetic conditions
Best Medicine For Cholesterol
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Chylomicrons Vldl And Idl Vldl Remnants
Lipoprotein is required for the metabolism of both chylomicrons and VLDL. This enzyme is induced by insulin and transported to the luminal surface of capillary endothelium where it is in direct contact with the blood. Lipoprotein lipase hydrolyzes the fatty acids from triglycerides carried by chylomicrons and VLDL and is activated by apoC-II. In capillaries of adipose tissue , apoC-II activates lipoprotein lipase, the fatty acids released enter the tissue for storage, and the glycerol is retrieved by the liver, which has glycerol kinase. The chylomicron remnant is picked up by hepatocytes through the apoE receptor thus, dietary cholesterol, as well as any remaining triglyceride, is released in the hepatocyte. The receptor may recycle to the surface, the LDL is degraded, and cholesterol is released into the ceU. Expression of the gene for LDL receptors is regulated by the cholesterol level within the cell.
Symptoms Of High Blood Cholesterol And Triglycerides
High cholesterol typically doesnt cause any symptoms. Symptoms may only appear after the increased cholesterol has caused significant damage.
For instance, symptoms may come in the form of heart disease symptoms, such as chest pain or nausea and fatigue. A heart attack or stroke may result from uncontrolled cholesterol, among other things.
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Types Of Statins Available
There are several types of statins available. They include:
High intensity statins:
- pravastatin
- simvastatin
Although all statins work in the same way, your body might respond better to one type than another. This is why doctors sometimes try several types of statins before they find the right one for you.
Some are more likely to interact with other drugs or organic compounds. For example, the statins Lipitor and Zocor can interact with grapefruit juice, according to the Food and Drug Administration .
The interaction can be very dangerous. Mixing these drugs with grapefruit can increase the amount of medication in the bloodstream and cause serious side effects.
Will A Keto Diet Lower Triglycerides And Cholesterol
No, keto diets have been shown to increase cholesterol levels. The Mediterranean diet, however, has been shown to lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of cardiac events.
The Mediterranean diet promotes eating vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats daily eating fish, poultry, beans, and eggs weekly reducing portions of dairy and limiting red meat.
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Different Types Of Lipids
Your cholesterol test results will usually show total cholesterol, which is made up of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and also triglycerides.
LDL cholesterol is the so-called bad cholesterol. The level of LDL in a persons blood can help predict their risk of having coronary heart disease.
HDL is often called the good cholesterol as it may be beneficial in reducing the risk of coronary heart disease.
Triglycerides are another type of blood fat. High levels of triglycerides are also considered to be important predictors of future coronary problems, and very high levels of triglycerides may cause inflammation of the pancreas .
Effect On Clinical Outcomes
As described above in the description of the effect of volanesorsen on lipid/lipoprotein levels in patients with FCS and hypertriglyceridemia there is suggestive evidence that lowering the very high TG levels with volanesorsen treatment will reduce the risk of pancreatitis and improve the quality of life.
The effect of volanesorsen on cardiovascular disease has not been determined. However, epidemiologic studies have demonstrated that increased Apo C-III levels are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events and coronary artery calcification . Moreover, carriers of rare heterozygous loss-of-function mutations in Apo C-III have reduced TG levels and reduced cardiovascular disease risk . One can speculate that lowering Apo C-III and TG levels with volanesorsen will have beneficial effects on the development of cardiovascular disease.
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What Is Cholesterol Again
Lets get straight on what cholesterol actually is. The fatty, waxy substance is produced by the liver and moves through the bloodstream. It helps your body build cells, as well as produce needed vitamins and hormones. There are two types of cholesterol, and theyre about as far apart as you can get:
HDL and LDL
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HDL is often referred to as good cholesterol. It grabs up LDL in the bloodstream and carries it back to the liver to be processed and removed as waste.
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LDL, the bad kind, can build up in artery walls if levels become too high. Eventually, this buildup can set the stage for heart disease, heart attack, or stroke.
A third type, very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, carries triglycerides through the bloodstream. Triglycerides are fats derived almost entirely from the foods we eat. High levels of these fats in your bloodstream can cause problems similar to LDL cholesterol.
Initiation Of Atherosclerosis And Role Of Endothelial Dysfunction
To explain the process of developing atherosclerosis, several theories have been proposed. For example, the plaque cluster could result from the monoclonal proliferation of modified SMC originating from a single progenitor 2 . Another theory considers the role of a small accumulation of SMC, which acts as a primordial stage of stem cells prone to playing a role in the development of atherosclerosis 49 . Although some isolated cases are perhaps relevant, none of these theories is able to completely explain all the aspects of ongoing atherosclerosis. This suggests that the eventual onset of atherosclerosis is also determined by superimposed extrinsic factors such as increased cholesterol levels, smoking, etc.
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The Health Benefits Of Pears
Pears are actually higher in pectin than apples. This makes them effective in helping to lower cholesterol levels and in toning the intestines. They are often recommended by health care practitioners as a hypoallergenic fruit that is high in fiber. They are less likely to produce an adverse response than other fruits. Pears are often recommended as a safe fruit to introduce to infants. Pears are an extraordinary source of dietary fiber when the skin is eaten along with the flesh. Pears are also an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin E, both powerful antioxidants and essential nutrients. Cholesterol The high content of pectin in pears make it very useful in helping to lower cholesterol levels. Pectin is a type of soluble fiber that binds to fatty substances in the digestive tract and promotes their elimination. This seems to help lower blood cholesterol levels. Soluble fiber also helps regulate the body’s use of sugars.
What Are The Treatments For High Cholesterol
A variety of approaches and can nudge numbers into a healthy change. Your doctor will likely start with the least aggressive treatment firstrecommending tweaks to your daily way of living. One huge bonus: These are the same principles that are known to be good for anyone wanting to live a long, healthy life. From upgrading your diet to getting more exercise, these are a few of the things you may discuss.
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Supplements And Medications To Lower Triglycerides
Some diabetes medications, Actos , for example, will also lower triglycerides, says Shurmur. However, this drug may cause or worsen congestive heart failure, warns the FDA.
Vytorin: Zocor + Zetia
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2008 found that Vytorin was less effective at reducing risk of heart disease compared to taking Zocor alone. Researchers found that while Vytorin was more effective at lowering cholesterol, it was not better at reducing plaque build up in the arteries compared to Zocor alone. In fact, the arterial wall was thicker for patients taking Vytorin. Two patients taking the combination pill died, compared to one taking Zocor, and three of the patients taking the combination pill had non-fatal heart attacks, compared to two taking Zocor. These differences were not statistically significant, meaning they could happen by chance, but they suggest that Zocor alone is a better choice than Vytorin. The final results of the two-year clinical trial indicated that patients taking Vytorin were at the same risk of heart disease as the patients who took Zocor alone. Why take 2 drugs at once if the second one is not helpful and may be harmful? : Vytorin is not more effective than Zocor alone.
After the above study was published, doctors were advised that Zetia should only be used if all other medications have failed. The listed side effects for Zetia include: stomach pain, tiredness, allergic reactions, and joint pain. Rarely, patients also experience severe muscle problems with symptoms of muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness caused by muscle breakdown.
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