Monday, March 25, 2024
HomeEditor PicksHow To Test For Triglycerides

How To Test For Triglycerides

Treatment For Elevated Triglycerides

How to Check Triglycerides & Cholesterol at Home

The treatment goals for any individual with elevated blood lipids must take into account the severity of the abnormalities and the specific lipid levels that are abnormal, as well the medical history and presence of additional risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Treatments to reduce triglyceride levels are lipid altering medications, which are used to reduce levels of undesirable blood lipids, such as LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and increasing blood levels of desirable lipids, such as HDL cholesterol. If triglyceride levels are extremely elevated, treatment may primarily address this problem in order to avoid pancreatitis , which can be a complication of extremely high triglyceride levels.

There are different types of lipid altering medications, but only some of these are effective in lowering triglycerides.

HMG CoA reductase inhibitors, fibric acide derivitaves, and nicotinic acid are classes of drugs that have effects on triglyceride levels.

Can You Check Cholesterol Without A Blood Test

During a cholesterol test procedure, a blood sample will have to be taken from a vein in your arm.

To do so, a tourniquet is tied around your arm just above the elbow. A needle is then inserted into a vein in your arm near the inside of your elbow. Once the needle is positioned, a small amount of blood is withdrawn and collected in a vial or a syringe.

After the blood is collected, the needle is removed from the vein, and the tourniquet is removed from your arm. A small cotton ball is pressed over the puncture site to stop any bleeding. A Band-Aid may be placed to protect clothing should a small amount of blood leak out of the puncture site.

How long does a cholesterol take?

Having blood tests drawn takes only a few minutes.

Does a cholesterol test hurt?

Blood tests cause a minimal amount of discomfort. Some people do have anxiety about having blood drawn and it may be worse than the pain of the procedure.

Stop Smoking To Lower Cholesterol

The ADA recommends if you smoke to quit to improve diabetes management. Quitting smoking can also improve your overall health and reduce your risk of cancer.

There are numerous programs, support systems, and medications available to help you quit smoking. Studies show it might take a few tries to quit your smoking habit for good. Not smoking when you have diabetes can help you reduce your risks of cardiovascular disease and other diabetes complications.

Recommended Reading: Can You Eat Yogurt With High Cholesterol

Recommended Reading: How To Reduce Cholesterol Level

Best Instructional Video: Letsgetchecked Cholesterol Test

LetsGetChecked offers a finger prick cholesterol test and states that it may suit people with:

LetsGetChecked has an instructional video on its website that explains how a person should collect the sample. The company suggests that people do so before 10 a.m. and before they eat breakfast.

LetsGetChecked offers a one-time purchase as well as a subscription plan for those who require regular cholesterol testing.

It states that its laboratories are approved by and part of the College of American Pathologists program.

People should receive their results within 25 days. Additionally, they can contact a LetsGetChecked nurse at any time to discuss their results.

Price: A test kit costs $79.

A person may wish to consider the advantages and disadvantages of this test.

Recommended Reading: What Can I Take To Lower Triglycerides

How Is It Used

Triglyceride diagram

Blood tests for triglycerides are usually part of a lipid profile that is used to help identify an individualâs risk of developing heart disease and to help make decisions about what treatment may be needed if there is borderline or high risk. As part of a lipid profile, it may be used to monitor people who have risk factors for heart disease, those who have had a heart attack, or those who are being treated for high lipid and/or high triglyceride levels.

Results of the cholesterol test and other components of the lipid profile are used along with other known risk factors of heart disease to develop a plan of treatment and follow-up. Treatment options may include lifestyle changes, such as diet or exercise programs, or lipid-lowering drugs, such as statins.

Also Check: Does Olive Oil Lower Cholesterol

Easily Discover Your Personal Levels Of Total Cholesterol Hdl Calculated Ldl And Triglycerides

Your results will contain your personal levels of Total Cholesterol, HDL, Calculated LDL, and Triglycerides and whether they fall within a low, normal, or high range. We always encourage sharing the results of your test with your healthcare provider.

Everlywell can provide suggestions to jumpstart a healthier lifestyle. As always, we encourage you to share your results with a healthcare provider who can provide specific guidance on medication and lifestyle changes.

You May Like: How To Reduce Triglycerides Cholesterol

Getting Your Cholesterol Checked

Many people have never had their cholesterol checked, so they dont know whether they are at risk.

High cholesterol usually has no signs or symptoms.

The only way to know whether you have high cholesterol is to get your cholesterol checked. Your health care team can do a simple blood test, called a lipid profile, to measure your cholesterol levels.

Read Also: Does Chicken Breast Contain Cholesterol

You Are Eating The Wrong Kind Of Fat

The low-fat diet trend of the 90s has been replaced with just the opposite. Diets like keto and Whole30 encourage eating a lot of animal protein as well as full-fat versions of food, which might have many consumers eating more saturated fat. Overeating saturated fat is also associated with elevated triglyceride levels.

If youre trying to lower your triglycerides, its best to ensure that saturated fats make up no more than 10% of your daily calories, replacing them with unsaturated fats, such as nuts and seeds, and omega-3 fats like those found in fatty fish and flax seeds.

You can also lower your saturated fat intake by choosing leaner cuts of meats and preparing your food with oils high in unsaturated fats, such as avocado oil and olive oil, instead of butter. Also try to have smaller servings of desserts and sweets, but really enjoy each bite so you feel more satisfied. Lastly, Nutrition Facts labels are a good place to check the saturated fat content of your packaged foods.

Are Bananas Good For High Triglycerides

Health & Nutrition : How to Fast Before a Triglycerides Blood Test

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, …

You May Like: Low Cholesterol With High Triglycerides

What Affects The Test

Many conditions can affect cholesterol and triglyceride levels, including:

  • Medicines, such as diuretics, corticosteroids, male sex hormones , tranquillizers, estrogen, birth control pills, antibiotics, and niacin .
  • Physical stress, such as infection, heart attack, surgery.
  • Other conditions, such as hypothyroidism, diabetes, or kidney or liver disease.
  • Alcohol use disorder.
  • Liver disease , malnutrition, or hyperthyroidism.
  • Pregnancy. Values are the highest during the third trimester and usually return to the pre-pregnancy levels after delivery of the baby.

Your doctor will talk with you about any abnormal results that may be related to your other health problems.

Also Check: Natural Supplements For Cholesterol And Triglycerides

Diet And Lifestyle Changes

A doctor will look at your overall risk of cardiovascular disease and make recommendations to reduce high blood cholesterol as well as managing other risk factors such as high blood pressure, smoking and being overweight.

Reducing high blood cholesterol levels typically involves decreasing the total cholesterol level by decreasing LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides, while maintaining or increasing HDL-cholesterol levels.

  • LDL-cholesterol levels are best decreased by eating less saturated fat
  • Triglyceride levels are best reduced by eating less sugar-containing foods, limiting alcohol intake, and reducing the intake of total fat
  • HDL-cholesterol levels are best increased by exercise, substituting saturated fats with polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fat , and maintaining a healthy weight.

Heart-healthy dietary changes are summarised in our Heart disease diet page.

Other lifestyle changes should include:

  • Exercising regularly

Recommended Reading: What Raises Good Cholesterol Naturally

Recommended Reading: What Does High Non Hdl Cholesterol Mean

When Can I Eat Or Drink Again

As soon as your blood is taken, your fast is over. You might want to bring a snack and a drink with you so you can eat as soon as possible after the test.

American Academy for Clinical Chemistry: Basic Metabolic Panel,Comprehensive Metabolic Panel,GGT,Glucose Tests,Iron Tests,Lipid Profile,Renal Function Panel,Vitamin B12 & Folate.

British National Health Service: Can I Eat and Drink Before Having a Blood Test?

Crystal Moore, MD, PhD, FCAP, anatomical and clinical pathologist, Chesapeake, VA.

National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: What Are Blood Tests?

Nemours Foundation: Blood Test: Comprehensive Metabolic Panel .

Providence Laboratory Services : Fasting Instructions.

Read Also: Are Ritz Crackers High In Cholesterol

Why And When Do You Need A Triglycerides Test

Cholesterol Guidelines for All (2019 Carb Guide) ⢠Healthy.Happy.Smart.

The triglyceride test is often performed to help your doctor determine your risk of developing heart diseases. It also helps them estimate the precise LDL cholesterol levels in your bloodstream. It can indicate an ongoing inflammation of the pancreas as well as your chances of developing atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis is a condition that occurs when excessive fat builds up inside your arteries. It can increase your chances of getting a stroke or heart attack to two folds. You should get this test done as a part of your overall lipid profile every 5 to 6 years to analyze the levels of the following:

  • LDL, i.e., low-density lipoproteins

If you already have a high triglyceride level, your doctor or health care provider can also order this test frequently to monitor the effectiveness of your treatment plan. If you are a pre-diabetic or diabetic patient, you must also monitor your triglycerides level regularly, as they tend to increase when you are not properly maintaining your blood sugar levels.

Young children can also need this test if they are susceptible to developing heart diseases. This category includes children who are obese, overweight, or come with a family history of heart disorders, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Children at increased risk of heart diseases might need to undergo the triglycerides test between 2 and 10 years of age.

Recommended Reading: Do Fertilized Eggs Have Less Cholesterol

What Is The Test Used For

The triglyceride test indicates the amount of triglycerides in your blood. These triglycerides are your body’s storage form of fat. Most of them are found in your adipose fat tissues, but some keep circulating in the blood to deliver fuel for your muscles to work. Extra triglycerides can be present in your blood after consuming a meal when the fat is sent from the gut towards the fat tissues for the depository. Triglycerides are also known as saturated and unsaturated fats that you often read about on different food labels.

The most common reason behind checking your triglyceride levels is to conduct a lipid profile test and estimate your risk of developing cardiovascular disorders. Since triglycerides are a form of fat or lipid, they are included in a lipid profile. But, here, it is important to mention that unlike cholesterol, which is a clear cause of cardiovascular diseases, the arrangement between cardiovascular disorders and triglycerides is less complicated yet essential to acknowledge.

Therefore you should keep the blood triglyceride concentrations as low as possible, especially if you are susceptible to developing cardiovascular diseases for any known reason. High triglycerides levels can lead to a serious medical condition called pancreatitis, i.e., inflammation of the pancreas and pancreatic glands. If you somehow develop this condition, your doctor will check the triglyceride concentrations in your blood to rule out the causes.

Limit Your Sugar Intake

Added sugar is a big part of many peoples diets.

While the American Heart Association recommends consuming no more than 100150 calories of added sugar per day, one study found that the average American eats about 308 calories of added sugar daily .

Added sugar is commonly found in sweets, soft drinks, and fruit juice.

Extra sugar in your diet may be turned into triglycerides, which can lead to an increase in blood triglyceride levels, along with other heart disease risk factors.

A 2020 review that included data on 6,730 people found that those who consumed sugar-sweetened beverages regularly were over 50% more likely to have high triglycerides, compared with those who did not drink them regularly .

Another study found that consuming high amounts of added sugar is also associated with higher blood triglyceride levels in children .

Fortunately, several studies have shown that low carb diets can lead to a decrease in blood triglyceride levels .

Even a simple change such as replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with water could decrease triglycerides in some people .

Summary

Minimizing added sugar in your diet from sugary beverages and sweets can reduce your blood triglyceride levels.

Read Also: How To Lower Triglycerides Quickly

Is It Possible To Lower Triglycerides Naturally

Similar to cholesterol, triglycerides come from the food we eat and our liver. When levels are normal, triglycerides are used for energy. The problems arise when levels are high, explains Dr. Nissen. When we make more triglycerides than we use, the rest are stored as fat. Thats why many people who are overweight or have type 2 diabetes have high levels.

Poor diabetes control is a major factor in causing high triglyceride levels, Dr. Nissen says. He stresses the importance of watching your carbohydrate consumption. Eating a low-carb diet and getting plenty of exercise are often effective in lowering triglyceride levels.

Limit Your Alcohol Intake

Lowering Triglycerides – Mayo Clinic

Heavy drinking is associated with many health issues, including high triglyceride levels. Too much alcohol leads to cholesterol problems by adding extra calories, carbs, and sugar to your diet.

When youre trying to curb your drinking, it helps to avoid triggers that cause alcohol relapses. This includes people, situations, certain foods, and places that increase the urge to drink.

You May Like: How To Lower Cholesterol And A1c

What Other Tests Might I Have Along With This Test

Your healthcare provider may also order other tests to look at how well your heart is working. These tests may include:

  • Electrocardiogram, or ECG, which tests your heart’s electrical impulses to see if it is beating normally
  • Stress test, in which you may have to exercise while being monitored by ECG
  • Echocardiogram, which uses sound waves to make pictures of your heart
  • Cardiac catheterization. For this test, a healthcare provider puts a tube into your blood vessels and injects dye. X-rays are then done to look for clogs in the arteries of the heart

Your provider may also order tests for high blood pressure or blood sugar, or glucose.

How Often Should My Triglycerides Be Tested

If youâre a healthy adult, you should get a lipid profile every 4-6 years. Children should have it done at least once between the ages of 9 and 11, and one more time between 17 and 21. If youâre making changes to your diet or taking medication for high cholesterol or triglycerides, experts advise you to get a lipid profile afterward.

Show Sources

Read Also: Does Oat Bran Lower Cholesterol

What Is Vldl And How Does It Relate To Triglyceride

Very low-density lipoprotein is one of the major lipoprotein particles. Others include high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein . Each one of these particles contains a mixture of cholesterol, protein, and triglyceride but in varying amounts unique to each type of particle. LDL contains the highest amount of cholesterol. HDL contains the highest amount of protein. VLDL contains the highest amount of triglyceride. Since VLDL contains most of the circulating triglyceride and since the compositions of the different particles are relatively constant, it is possible to estimate the amount of VLDL-cholesterol by dividing the triglyceride value by 5. At present, there is no simple, direct way of measuring VLDL-cholesterol, so the estimate calculated from triglyceride is used in most settings. This calculation is not valid when the triglyceride is greater than 400 mg/dL. Increased levels of VLDL-cholesterol have been found to be associated with increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

Risk Factors And Complications

Buy Online Triglycerides Biochemistry Test Kit

High blood triglycerides can be a risk factor for heart disease. Its unclear whether triglycerides can cause the buildup of plaque in your arteries thats associated with many types of heart disease. At extreme levels of 1,000 mg/dL or more, blood triglycerides can cause acute pancreatitis.

Elevated triglyceride levels can be a sign of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a collection of conditions that include:

  • an excessively large waistline, which is defined as greater than 35 inches in women or 40 inches in men
  • elevated blood pressure
  • low HDL, or good cholesterol
  • elevated triglycerides

Each one of these conditions carries risks and complications of its own, and all can be linked to the development of heart disease. Type 2 diabetes, which is characterized by high blood sugar and resistance to the hormone insulin, is also often associated with elevated triglycerides. Other causes of elevated triglyceride levels are:

You May Like: What Foods Help With Cholesterol

Tactics To Reduce Cholesterol Quickly

For most of us, theres really no need to pack our medicine cabinets with pills to reduce cholesterol levels. Natural, lifestyle-based strategies have proven extraordinarily effective in reducing cholesterol quickly and permanently.

Get the top 5 food and fitness tips recommended by the doctors, dietitians, exercise experts, and other faculty at the Pritikin Longevity Center. Pritikin has been helping people lower cholesterol levels since 1975.

Did you know that for every 10% drop in your cholesterol level, your heart attack risk drops by 20% to 30%? Theres more good news: Most of us can reduce cholesterol quickly, and without the need for medications. Simple lifestyle strategies can be very powerful.

Thats what several studies on thousands following the Pritikin Program of diet and exercise have found. Within three weeks, people were able to lower their cholesterol levels on average 23%, which translates into a 46% to 69% drop in heart attack risk.1

Recommended Reading: Are Aldi Cholesterol Drinks As Good As Benecol

RELATED ARTICLES

Most Popular