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
- Genetic conditions
Mistakes You’re Making When Trying To Lower Your Triglycerides
Triglycerides are a type of fat that makes up most of your body fat stores. They can also be found in various foods, such as butter, margarine and oils. Beyond consumption of triglycerides, what and how much you eat also affects your blood triglyceride levels. When you eat more calories than you need, whether from carbohydrates, protein or fat, your body stores the excess calories as fat in the form of triglycerides.
Hypertriglyceridemia is a condition where elevated levels of triglycerides are present in the blood. It is a risk factor for heart disease and diabetes. Luckily, making changes to your diet and lifestyle can help lower your triglycerides and improve your health outcomes. Here are six mistakes that you may be making when trying to lower your triglycerides.
Skip The Sweet Drinks
One of the easiest things you can do to lower your triglycerides is to cut out sweetened drinks. Sodas and other sugary drinks are packed with fructose, a known offender when it comes to boosting triglycerides. Drink no more than 36 ounces of sweet sippers per week — that means three 12-ounce cans of soda.
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My Cholesterol Is Normal But My Triglycerides Are High: Why Is That
So both your HDL and LDL levels are where they should be, but your triglycerides are still high why is that?
Triglycerides become elevated due to excess calories that do not get burned off, and in turned get stored in fat cells. Statins are medications that primarily lower LDL cholesterol, but depending on the medication dose, can lower Triglycerides from 20 to 40 percent, Sai Hanumanthu MD, with the TriHealth Heart Institute explains.
There are steps you can take to lower your triglyceride levels while promoting good cardiovascular health, including:
- Losing 5 to 10 pounds if overweight
- Avoiding alcohol
- Avoiding foods high in saturated fats
- Limiting simple carbs that have high processed sugars .
- Participating in 30 minutes of exercise per day
All these suggestions and routine follow up with a medical professional will lower you triglyceride level, even despite a low total cholesterol, Dr. Hanumanthu says.
Address Underlying Health Issues
Remember, although triglycerides can be high due to bad lifestyle and dietary choices, they can also be high due to an underlying health condition. The most important thing is to work with your doctor to find out whats causing your high triglyceride levels and to treat any underlying conditions!
For example, triglycerides can be high due to liver disease, infections, underactive thyroid , autoimmune disease, or some genetic disorders just to name a few .
In these cases, simply changing your diet or lifestyle wont help address the underlying issue and may actually be harmful!
In addition, high triglyceride levels can be dangerous for your body. If necessary, your doctor will prescribe triglyceride-lowering medication.
Thats why, if your triglycerides are elevated, you should discuss the lifestyle and dietary changes listed below with your doctor. None of these strategies should ever be done in place of what your doctor recommends or prescribes!
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Eat Less To Lose Weight
High triglycerides come from regularly eating more calories than your body burns, so eating less overall is one of the best ways to start reining them in.
How much less, exactly? You may want to cut back by 500 to 1,000 calories a day, depending on how many calories youre consuming. Thats enough to help you lose weight, which is key.
Dropping 5 to 10 percent of your body weight is enough to reduce your triglycerides significantly. But definitely get the OK from your doctor before making any major changes to your diet.
/11limit Your Sugar Intake
Most people consume double the daily recommended amount of sugar every day. Not many know this, extra sugar in your diet can turn into triglycerides, increasing your risk of heart diseases.
Studies have found that people who consumed 25 per cent of their daily calories from sugar were twice more likely to die from heart disease as compared to people who consumed only 10 per cent of their calories from sugar.
Replacing your sugary drinks with water can lower the triglyceride levels by 28 mg/dL.
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What Other Lifestyle Changes Help Lower Triglycerides
Lifestyle strategies are a way to lower triglycerides naturally.
Weight loss has a positive effect on triglycerides. For every 5% to 10% weight reduction, triglycerides may be lowered by 20%. Another way to look at this: For every kilogram lost, triglycerides may be reduced by 2%.
Increasing physical activity lowers triglycerides.
- Aerobic activity of any kind, especially when done after a meal, uses up triglycerides that are in the blood ready to be used as fuel. This not only lowers triglycerides but also helps with abdominal obesity.
- Exercise is most effective for lowering triglycerides when they are very elevated. If triglycerides are optimal , exercise will not further lower the level.
All together, intensive lifestyle strategies can reduce triglycerides by 50% or more over a year. Lifestyle strategies can enable people to effectively reduce triglycerides without medicine or drugs, plus there are many other positive effects on other aspects of health and well-being. This is the recommended approach of the American Heart Association for anyone with triglycerides greater than optimal .
What Can Raise Your Triglycerides
Triglycerides can be raised due to what doctors refer to as âprimaryâ and âsecondaryâ causes, explained below. Some people have a combination of both.
It is very important that your doctors investigates all these potential causes so that you can start treatment.
Primary causes of raised triglycerides
âPrimaryâ refers to inherited conditions which cause raised triglyceride levels.
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Effect Of Niacin On Atherosclerosis
Many of the initial niacin therapy imaging studies combined niacin with other drugs and compared these combinations vs. placebo. These studies showed that niacin in combination with other drugs reduced the progression and/or increased the regression of atherosclerosis. However, because of the use of other drugs it is impossible to determine if niacin therapy per se was beneficial .
Follow A Lower Carb Diet
Much like added sugar, extra calories from carbs in your diet are converted into triglycerides and stored in fat cells.
Not surprisingly, low carb diets have been linked to lower blood triglyceride levels .
A review of 12 randomized controlled trials found that people following reduced carb diets typically saw a reduction in triglyceride levels at 6, 12, and 24 months. Across these studies, triglyceride levels decreased the most 6 months after starting a reduced calorie diet .
A 2020 review compared low fat and low carb diets. Researchers found that 612 months after starting their relative diets, those on the low carb diet had greater decreases in triglyceride levels than those on a low fat diet .
Summary
Following a low carb diet can lead to a significant reduction in blood triglyceride levels, at least in the short term, when compared with a low fat diet.
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Normal Levels Of Serum Triglycerides
Triglycerides are measured with a blood test and are generally part of the lipid panel, also known as lipid profile, which includes testing for HDL and LDL cholesterol levels as well. To perform the test, youll have to be fasting for at least 10-12 hours but drinking water is allowed. Alcohol should also be avoided in the 24 hours preceding the test.
- 40-100 mg/dL or is considered the optimal level of fasting triglycerides
- < 150 mg/dL : normal triglyceride range
- 150-199 mg/dL : borderline high triglyceride range
- 200-499 mg/dL : high triglyceride range
- > 500 mg/dL : very high triglyceride range
Your lipid profile is not only influenced by your diet and lifestyle, but also by your genetics. Some medications such as estrogens or some health conditions may also lead to increased serum triglycerides.
How To Quickly Lower Your Triglycerides
You might be wondering what are triglycerides and how do I know if mine are too high?Triglycerides are a type of fat found in our blood that our bodies use for energy. Having a healthy number of triglycerides can be very beneficial in maintaining good health however, when your triglyceride levels get too high, your health may be at risk.
What kind of risk are we talking about?Your triglycerides are measured through simple blood testing. A count of 150 and lower has been commonly referred to as a normal level amount. If you fall in between 200 and 500, your levels are commonly referred to as high or very high. Its at this level that your body becomes more vulnerable to increased risk of metabolic syndrome and heart disease. Regularly consuming more calories than you burn, consuming a lot of alcohol, and poorly-managed diabetes are a few of the causes of high triglyceride levels.
If you are over the age of 18, have high triglyceride levels and feel like youre out of options, a new 12-week research study at FMC Science may be an option for you. If you qualify for this study, all participants will be seen by a board certified physician get paid for time & travel all study medication, exams & tests will be paid at no cost to you-NO OUT OF POCKET COSTS! No insurance is required to participate! To learn more call FMC Science at 512-556-4130 or click below.
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Weight Loss And Triglyceride Levels
Weight loss is an important tool to get to a healthy triglyceride level. Because triglycerides are essentially fat stores, reducing the total amount of fat in the body will result in a lower triglyceride level in blood tests.
Even modest weight loss of 5% to 10% of total body weight helps to lower your triglyceride level. This means that going from a body weight of 300 lb to between 270 lb and 285 lb makes a big difference and lowers your risk of heart disease, stroke, and pancreatitis.
Top Foods To Help Lower Triglyceride Levels
3 ).
Diet plays a major role in the production of triglycerides in your body. Certain foods may even help lower your blood levels.
Here are 8 top foods that may help lower triglyceride levels.
5 ).
Daily intakes of at least 25 grams of soy protein were most effective at lowering these fats in the blood .
Soybeans, edamame, tofu, and tempeh are excellent sources of isoflavones, a health-promoting compound linked to reduced triglycerides, weight management, and improved menopause symptoms .
Fermented soy products like natto and tempeh have a higher nutritional value than unfermented soy. When used to replace sources of animal protein, they have a potent triglyceride-lowering effect .
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Cut Out Sugar And Too Many Refined Carbs
Common sources of added sugar and refined carbs include white bread, rice cakes, white flour, soda, breakfast cereals, and pasta. Basically, anything that comes from a package should be avoided to protect your health.
Food and beverage labels include added sugars in the nutrition facts section and ingredients list. We have a detailed guide showing how to read nutrition labels.
Effect Of Volanesorsen On Lipid And Lipoprotein Levels
FAMILIAL CHYLOMICRONEMIA SYNDROME
A double-blind, randomized 52-week trial evaluated the ability of volanesorsen vs. placebo to decrease TG levels in 66 patients with FCS . The primary end point was the percentage change in fasting TG levels at 3 months. As expected, there was a marked reduction in Apo C-III levels in the volanesorsen group and a small increase in the placebo group. Most importantly patients treated with volanesorsen had a 77% decrease at 3 months in TG levels whereas patients receiving placebo had an 18% increase in TG levels. The decrease in TGs in patients treated with volanesorsen persisted for 52 weeks . Significantly, 77% of the patients in the volanesorsen group vs. only 10% of patients in the placebo group had TG levels of less than 750 mg/dl, a level that would greatly reduce the risk of pancreatitis. In addition, patients who received volanesorsen had decreases in levels of chylomicron TG by 83%, apolipoprotein B-48 by 76%, nonHDL-C by 46%, and VLDL-C by 58% and increases in levels of HDL-C by 46%, apolipoprotein A1 by 14%, LDL-C by 136% , and total apolipoprotein B by 20%.
HYPERTRIGLYCERIDEMIA
DIABETES
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Look At Your Prescription Meds
A bunch of different drugs can potentially raise triglyceride levels, including oral estrogen, corticosteroids, and antipsychotic drugs.
If your numbers recently measured high, be sure to review any prescription drugs you might be taking with your doctor. If one of your meds is the culprit, you can talk figure out a plan for protecting your heart health.
Does Coffee Affect Triglyceride Test
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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Triglycerides Level Chart Foods That Raise And Lower It
We know that triglycerides have a direct link with heart health. Yet, the reports of elevated triglycerides levels worldwide are alarming. Recently, The US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey reported that more than 25% of US adults suffer from high levels of triglycerides. The survey that lasted for 8 years provides alarming rates of triglyceride patients. It also states, around 37% of the patients to be on medications for triglycerides.
However, we are blessed with foods that can help lower triglyceride levels and help in leading a healthy life. Before reaching for the foods, lets first understand triglycerides better to treat it accordingly.
Are Bananas Good For High Triglycerides
The researchers also say that people with high triglycerides should focus on eating more vegetables fruits that are lower in fructose such as cantaloupe, grapefruit, strawberries, bananas, peaches high-fiber whole grains and especially omega-3 fatty acids, which are found primarily in fatty fish such as salmon,
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What Foods Make Your Triglycerides High
Foods that can help lower triglyceridesall vegetables, especially leafy greens, green beans, and butternut squash. all fruits, especially citrus fruits, and berries. low fat or fat-free dairy products, such as cheese, yogurt, and milk. high-fiber whole grains, such as quinoa, barley, and brown rice.
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What Are Triglycerides And What Is Considered A Healthy Level
Triglycerides are sort of like cholesterol: Both are types of fat found in your blood. But while cholesterol is used to make cells and certain hormones, the job of triglycerides is to store unused calories to give your body energy between meals.
Triglycerides get stored after you eat. If you take in any calories that arent needed for energy right away, theyre converted into triglycerides and transferred to your fat cells for later use.
Eating more calories than you need on the reg can lead to high triglycerides over time, which can up your risk for heart disease. Triglycerides are usually measured along with cholesterol, and numbers over 150 mg/dL are usually considered high.
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Eat Fatty Fish Twice Weekly
Fatty fish is well known for its benefits on heart health and ability to lower blood triglycerides.
This is mostly due to its content of omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fatty acid that is considered essential, meaning you need to get it through your diet.
Both the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and American Heart Association recommend eating two servings of fatty fish per week to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke .
Whats more, one study showed that eating salmon twice a week significantly decreased blood triglyceride concentration .
Salmon, herring, sardines, tuna, and mackerel are a few types of fish that are especially high in omega-3 fatty acids.
Summary
Fatty fish is high in omega-3 fatty acids. Eating two servings per week may lower triglyceride levels and decrease the risk of heart disease.
What Is A Healthy Triglycerides Range
Aiming for a healthy triglycerides range can help improve your overall health and reduce your risk of conditions such as heart attack or stroke.
Triglyceride levels are measured in milligram/deciliter . See the table below for information about optimal and high triglycerides levels.
| Triglycerides |
|---|
| very high |
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Consider Cutting Back On Carbs
You dont have to go full keto. But some research suggests that lower carb diets are tied to healthier triglyceride levels.
How low should you go? In a 2006 study, people who consumed about a quarter of their calories from carbs lowered their triglycerides more than those who got more than half their calories from carbs.
Mechanisms Accounting For The Volanesorsen Induced Lipid Effects
Volanesorsen binds to apo C-III mRNA leading to increased degradation and thereby inhibits the hepatic synthesis of apo C-III protein resulting in a reduction in plasma apo C-III levels . Apo C-III has a number of important effects on the metabolism of TG rich lipoproteins . Apo C-III is an inhibitor of LPL and therefore decreasing apo C-III levels will enhance LPL activity. In patients with FCS this will not be important because patients with this disorder have defects in components of the LPL complex that result in the inability to increase LPL activity. Studies have shown that apo C-III stimulates the production and secretion of VLDL by the liver. This effect is also not likely to be of primary importance in patients with FCS as the very high TG levels are primarily due to chylomicrons and not VLDL. Whether apo C-III regulates chylomicron secretion by the intestine is unknown. Finally, and most importantly, Apo C-III inhibits the binding of TG rich lipoproteins to hepatic LDL receptors and LDL receptorrelated protein 1 decreasing the clearance of TG rich lipoprotein particles. A decrease in apo C-III will accelerate the clearance of TG rich lipoproteins, which likely accounts for the ability of volanesorsen to decrease TG levels in patients with FCS.
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