Are Cholesterol And Triglycerides The Same Thing

Main Difference Ldl Vs Triglycerides

Cholesterol is a substance produced inside our body it is also provided by certain types of food such as meat, butter, margarine, oils etc. Cholesterol is waxy in nature and does not dissolve in water. The key difference between LDL and triglycerides is that low density lipoprotein is a type of lipoprotein, which helps in the transportation of cholesterol in our body whereas Triglyceride is a form of dietary fat synthesized in the liver.

This article explores,

How to Calculate the Total LDL Level in Blood How to Control High Cholesterol Levels in Blood

3. What is Triglycerides? How to Reduce Triglycerides in the Body

4. What is the difference between LDL and Triglycerides?

How To Lower Cholesterol

If you have high cholesterol, your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes, medications or both.

Here are some ways to manage your cholesterol.

Eat heart-healthy food

What you eat can make a big difference to your cholesterol levels.

Cut back on foods high in saturated fats like:

• oily fish.

Drink less alcohol

Drinking too much alcohol can increase your LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. So drinking less is a good way to lower your cholesterol.

The Ministry of Health recommends no more than 10 standard drinks per week for women and no more than 15 for men. One standard drink is equal to:

• a standard can of 4% beer
• a small glass of wine
• a small single shot of spirits

If you have high cholesterol or you’ve been diagnosed with a heart condition, you may need to drink less than this.

Quit smoking

Smoking makes your LDL cholesterol stickier and reduces the amount of HDL cholesterol in your blood. It also damages the artery walls. This increases the build-up of plaque in your arteries and can cause risk of heart attack and stroke.

Quitting smoking is a great way to lower your cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of heart disease.

Move more

Sitting less and being more active are great ways to reduce high cholesterol.

This doesnt mean you have to join a gym or take up running it just means you need to move your body more throughout the day. Ideally you should do 30 minutes of activity a day.

You could try:

Read more about the benefits of exercise.

Cholesterol medication

How Are Triglycerides Different From Cholesterol

Triglycerides and cholesterol are both fatty substances called lipids. But triglycerides are fats cholesterol is not. Cholesterol is a waxy, odorless substance made by the liver. It is used to build cell walls, helps the nervous system and plays an important role in digestion and hormone production.

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What Are Very High Triglycerides

Just as it sounds, having very high triglycerides means that you have too much of this type of fat in your blood. Your doctor may call this condition severe hypertriglyceridemia.

It is detected through a simple blood test called a lipid panel or lipid profile. This test measures your:

• Overall cholesterol
• HDL cholesterol
• Triglycerides

You will likely be asked to get your blood taken after fastingwhen you havent had any food or drink for eight, and sometimes up to 12 hours. This will show your triglyceride level when your body has cleared any cholesterol from meals youve eaten. A triglyceride level done without fasting can also be very revealing because it often shows that your body is not clearing the cholesterol from food.

Your health care provider will likely use your fasting results to guide treatment, but cases can be very different

Like other types of cholesterol, triglycerides are measured in milligrams per deciliter of blood. There are four categories of triglyceride levels according to the American Heart Association. Someone is diagnosed with very high triglycerides when the amount of triglycerides found in the blood is 500 mg/dL or more under 150 mg/dL is considered normal.

What Is The Difference Between Cholesterol And Triglycerides

Cholesterol is a lipid and a steroid having four fused hydrocarbon rings. In contrast, triglycerides are a type of lipid having a glycerol molecule and three fatty acid chains. This is the key difference between cholesterol and triglycerides. Moreover, there are two main types of cholesterol: good cholesterol and bad cholesterol. On the other hand, there are different types of triglycerides, including saturated and unsaturated triglycerides. High level of triglycerides in the bloodstream is linked to atherosclerosis, heart disease and stroke. However, a high level of good cholesterol is associated with a healthy life while a high level of bad cholesterol is associated with cardiovascular diseases. This is another important difference between cholesterol and triglycerides.

Another difference between cholesterol and triglycerides is the function they provide. Triglycerides provide us with energy while cholesterol is important to produce steroid hormones and cortisol. They are also important to maintain membrane fluidity. Furthermore, the body produces as much cholesterol as it needs on its own. But the body relies on food consumption to create triglycerides. This is also a difference between cholesterol and triglycerides.

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How To Control High Cholesterol Levels In Blood

High cholesterol levels in blood can be controlled by,

• Consuming a healthy diet rich in whole grain, oatmeals, leafy vegetables, fruits
• Cutting down excessive refined fats modified carbohydrates and unsaturated oils
• Regular exercises
• Quit smoking
• Cholesterol lowering drugs-Statins, according to medical advice

  Structure of LDL receptor family members

Causes Of High Cholesterol

Elevated LDL cholesterol levels can be caused by several factors, including heredity conditions such as familial hypercholesterolemia. More commonly, elevated cholesterol levels are related to poor diet, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, age, smoking, and gender .

Several medical conditions, including diabetes, hypothyroidism, liver disease, and chronic kidney failure can also increase cholesterol levels. Some drugs, especially steroids and progesterone, can do the same.

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How To Reduce Triglycerides In The Body

• Consuming a balanced diet rich in fruits and leafy vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and small portions of lean meat and fish
• Losing weight if overweight or obese
• Limiting sugary foods, modified carbohydrates, tobacco smoking, and alcohol
• Routine medical check-ups with lipid profile

It is highly recommended to keep triglycerides under control since their elevation above the marginal value can act as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and Diabetes Mellitus.

Finding Out Your Triglycerides Levels

Triglycerides are measured with a simple blood test. Triglyceride levels should be measured when you have a cholesterol test as they can also contribute to your risk of developing heart disease, and other disease of the heart and blood vessels. The triglyceride test measures the triglycerides carried in chylomicrons and VLDL cholesterol. National guidelines in the UK no longer recommend a fasting blood test .

What should your triglyceride levels be?

HEART UK experts state that we should aim for a non-fasting triglyceride level below 2.3mmol/L.

If your doctor has asked you to fast for a test then your triglyceride level should be below 1.7mmol/L. This “fasting test” number is lower because only the triglycerides made by the liver and carried in the VLDL cholesterol will be measured not the triglycerides you get from food. As you have not eaten, there will be no chylomicrons present in your blood.

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How To Lower Triglycerides And Cholesterol Naturally

Your genes, diet, and lifestyle all affect your triglyceride and cholesterol levels. Some people naturally produce more triglycerides and cholesterol than others. This is based on their genetics and family history. Still, these levels are just part of your overall lipid levels, and lifestyle changes are one of the best ways to keep your numbers within a healthy range.

High Cholesterol And High Triglycerides What Does That Even Mean

If you have ever gone to the doctor and had lab work that revealed you have high cholesterol or high triglycerides you are usually given a sheet of paper with information on how to reduce these numbers. Most of us have a minimal level of knowledge of what this means and advised what to do. This blog will educate you and inform you of what exactly happens in the body, what body parts are affected, symptoms, and natural ways to reverse your levels in the blood.

First, what is high cholesterol and what are the levels? Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that is found in all the cells in the body. Cholesterol is made by the liver and is also in some foods, such as meat and dairy products. In order for our bodies to function properly some cholesterol is necessary. Cholesterol has what is called good and bad cholesterol. There is a total cholesterol level, then there is HDL which is the good and LDL which is the bad. Total cholesterol is just what it says, a total amount of HDL and LDL. HDL is called the good because it helps to remove cholesterol from your arteries LDL is the bad cholesterol it is the culprit of cholesterol buildup and blocks the arteries.

Like cholesterol, changes in lifestyle will assist in lowering triglycerides, so it is safe to say you can kill two birds with one stone. Losing weight, reducing your intake of saturated fats, cutting back on alcohol, eating more foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids, avoid sugar, and of course exercise.

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Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors

High triglyceride levels are associated with a collection of disorders known as metabolic syndrome. A person with metabolic syndrome has an increased risk of developing diabetes, stroke or heart disease.A person is classed as having metabolic syndrome when they have any three of the following factors:

• Central obesity excess fat in and around the stomach
• High blood pressure
• Higher than normal blood glucose levels
• Low HDL cholesterol
• High blood triglycerides.

Good And Bad Cholesterol

You will often hear doctors and dietitians talk about two different types of cholesterol low-density lipoprotein cholesterol , and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol . This way of talking about cholesterol is a convenient shorthand, but strictly speaking, it is not really correct.

Strictly speaking, as any good chemist will tell you, cholesterol is just cholesterol. One molecule of cholesterol is pretty much the same as another. So why do doctors talk about good and bad cholesterol?

The answer has to do with lipoproteins.

Lipoproteins. Cholesterol are lipids, and therefore do not dissolve in a water medium like blood. In order for lipids to be transported in the bloodstream without clumping together, they need to be packaged into small particles called lipoproteins. Lipoproteins are soluble in blood, and allow cholesterol and triglycerides to be moved with ease through the bloodstream.

The behavior of the various lipoproteins is determined by the specific kinds of proteins that appear on their surface. Lipoprotein metabolism is quite complex, and scientists are still working out all the details. However, most doctors concern themselves with two major types of lipoproteins: LDL and HDL.

LDL Cholesterol Bad Cholesterol. In most people, the majority of the cholesterol in the blood is packaged in LDL particles. LDL cholesterol is often called bad cholesterol.

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Where Is Cholesterol Made

Some cholesterol comes from the food we eat, but most is made in the liver in a complex 37-step process.

Cholesterol and another type of blood fat called triglycerides can’t circulate loosely in the blood, so the liver packages them into parcels called lipoproteins, including LDL and HDL cholesterol.

They are released into the blood to carry the fats around the body to wherever they’re needed.

What Affects My Cholesterol Levels

A variety of things can affect cholesterol levels. These are some things you can do to lower your cholesterol levels:

• Diet. Saturated fat and cholesterol in the food you eat make your blood cholesterol level rise. Saturated fat is the main problem, but cholesterol in foods also matters. Reducing the amount of saturated fat in your diet helps lower your blood cholesterol level. Foods that have high levels of saturated fats include some meats, dairy products, chocolate, baked goods, and deep-fried and processed foods.
• Weight. Being overweight is a risk factor for heart disease. It also tends to increase your cholesterol. Losing weight can help lower your LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. It also raises your HDL cholesterol level.
• Physical Activity. Not being physically active is a risk factor for heart disease. Regular physical activity can help lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol levels. It also helps you lose weight. You should try to be physically active for 30 minutes on most, if not all, days.
• Smoking.Cigarette smoking lowers your HDL cholesterol. HDL helps to remove bad cholesterol from your arteries. So a lower HDL can contribute to a higher level of bad cholesterol.

Things outside of your control that can also affect cholesterol levels include:

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Difference Between Ldl And Triglycerides

Low-density lipoprotein is a type of lipoprotein, which helps in the transportation of cholesterol in our body.

Triglyceride is a form of dietary fat synthesized in the liver as well as taken in with certain food types such as meat, dairy products, and cooking oils.

Elevated levels of both these substances in blood are known to be clinical measurements which give a hint towards hypercholesterolemia.

Image Courtesy:

Eie-TRIGLYCERIDE via Commons Wikimedia

How Can I Lower My Cholesterol

There are two main ways to lower your cholesterol:

• Heart-healthy lifestyle changes, which include:
• Heart-healthy eating. A heart-healthy eating plan limits the amount of saturated and trans fats that you eat. Examples include the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes diet and the DASH Eating Plan.
• Weight Management. If you are overweight, losing weight can help lower your LDL cholesterol.
• Physical Activity. Everyone should get regular physical activity .
• Managing stress. Research has shown that chronic stress can sometimes raise your LDL cholesterol and lower your HDL cholesterol.
• Quitting smoking.Quitting smoking can raise your HDL cholesterol. Since HDL helps to remove LDL cholesterol from your arteries, having more HDL can help to lower your LDL cholesterol.
• Drug Treatment. If lifestyle changes alone do not lower your cholesterol enough, you may also need to take medicines. There are several types of cholesterol medicines available, including statins. The medicines work in different ways and can have different side effects. Talk to your health care provider about which one is right for you. While you are taking medicines to lower your cholesterol, you should continue with the lifestyle changes.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

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Understanding Cholesterol: Hdl Ldl And Triglycerides

There are two types of grocery shoppersthose who race in with a list in hand and meticulously grab every item on the list before checking out and leaving, and those who meander up and down every aisle, not sure what they want until they see it on the shelf.

But within those two types, theres another shopper you may have seenthe label-reader. This person is health-conscious and examines the nutrition labels of food items before placing them in the cart.

One of the most important categories to check for on a food label is cholesterol.

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in your blood. Your body needs some cholesterol, but too much can build up on the walls of your arteries and can lead to heart disease and stroke. Checking your risk for heart disease and stroke is as simple as getting a lipid panel, which tests your blood cholesterol.

There are four important things checked in a lipid panel:

• Total cholesterol
• Low-density lipoproteins
• Triglycerides

HDL is known as the good cholesterol because it helps remove cholesterol by carrying it back to the liver where it can be eliminated from the body. Its good to have a high HDL number. LDL is known as the bad cholesterol because having too much LDL may cause a buildup of plaque in your blood vessels. Triglycerides are also a type of fat found in your blood. High triglycerides, low HDL, and/or high LDL numbers can increase your risk for heart attack and stroke.

Can Coffee Increase Triglycerides

Drinking coffeeespecially unfiltered coffeesignificantly contributes to increased levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol , and triglycerides, researchers have reported. The more coffee consumed, the higher the concentrations of LDL-cholesterol and total cholesterol, they found.

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What To Think About

• Chylomicrons are another type of lipoprotein that are measured in a different test. Chylomicrons are in the blood and carry fat from your intestine to your liver. They carry triglycerides to your muscles for immediate use. Or they carry triglycerides to fat tissue for storage.
• Having a high cholesterol level increases your chances of having a heart attack. The higher your cholesterol, the greater your chances. An elevated total cholesterol level in younger people is particularly significant, since the narrowing of the coronary arteries usually takes many years to develop.
• Lifestyle changes may help lower blood cholesterol levels and increase HDL cholesterol. Some people have better responses to diet and lifestyle changes than do others. Lifestyle changes might include:
• Quitting smoking.
• Eating healthier by reducing saturated fats and cholesterol in the diet while increasing fibre and complex carbohydrate.
• Losing weight. An improvement may occur if you lose as little as 2.5 kg to 5 kg .
• Being active on most, preferably all, days of the week.

Good Cholesterol Vs Bad Cholesterol

Cholesterol lipoproteins come in several different types. You may have heard cholesterol referred to as “good” and “bad” cholesterol.

Low-density lipoproteins are considered “bad” cholesterol, according to the Mayo Clinic. If LDL cholesterol levels are too high, these particles can mix with other substances and build up as plaque in the arteries. Plaque can make the arteries more narrow and rigid, a condition called atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis can reduce blood flow and may eventually cause a heart attack or stroke, per the Mayo Clinic.

High-density lipoproteins help prevent the buildup of plaque. Per the Mayo Clinic, these “good” cholesterol particles move through the bloodstream and pick up excess LDL cholesterol. The good HDL then returns the bad LDL to the liver for disposal.

It was previously believed that eating cholesterol-rich foods could raise cholesterol levels to an unhealthy level. But a major 2015 report by the USDA Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee says that dietary cholesterol is less of a risk factor for atherosclerosis and heart disease than previously thought. However, a diet high in fatty foods and carbohydrates âisâ a risk factor for high cholesterol and plaque buildup.

Poor diet, along with a lack of exercise, obesity and cigarette smoking are all major risk factor for high cholesterol, per the Mayo Clinic. Genetics and older age can also be risk factors.

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