What Can Raise Your Triglycerides
Triglycerides can be raised due to what doctors refer to as ‘primary’ and ‘secondary’ 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
‘Primary’ refers to inherited conditions which cause raised triglyceride levels.
How To Keep Heart
Healthy lifestyle changes are clearly helpful in managing heart disease risk, but the doctors in our Facebook Live event all noted that its a lifelong process. A lot of this seems a bit daunting, notes Ader, but once you get into it, you realize youre exercising and eating right for a reason. It becomes a part of your life, and you feel better for doing it.
Canto emphasizes that with the right treatment and management, people with heart disease can live happy, healthy, and fulfilling lives. You can have a heart attack in your 30s and have multiple heart attacks in the course of your lifetime, have bypass surgery, have multiple stents, have your heart shocked, have a defibrillator, and then maybe later on a heart transplant, and lead a normal life with heart disease, says Canto.
And, adds Nandi, you have the power to be your own health hero. The most important point is that your health is in your hands, says Nandi. Youre not helpless.
*Canto is a consultant on the speakers bureaus for Amarin and other pharmaceutical companies.
High Triglycerides: Getting Help
When it comes to cholesterol and triglycerides, perhaps the most important thing is to get regular screenings.
See your doctor and get checked out. If your triglycerides are high, you and your doctor can decide on a treatment plan — and you can make a few simple but effective changes to your lifestyle.
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Low Triglycerides And High Ldl
According to the American Heart Association, triglycerides are fats made in the body from other nutrients such as carbohydrates. If you eat calories that are not used immediately, they are converted into triglycerides and transported to fat cells to be stored.
Because LDL comes from two sources — the foods you eat and heredity — it is possible to have low triglycerides along with high LDL by eating a healthy diet while your body produces high levels of LDL. The American Heart Association says about 75 percent of your total cholesterol is manufactured in your liver and other cells.
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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Which Medications Improve Tg/hdl
- Statins. The major impact of statins on TG/HDL is to lower TG. But usually, statins are given to lower LDL. Sometimes they can also increase HDL levels but still not as much as how they lower TG. They can lower TG by as much as 50% .
- Prescription-strength niacin
- Prescription-strength omega-3s. Icosapent ethyl , Epanova, and Lovaza are prescription forms of omega-3s
High Triglycerides And Cholesterol Means High Risk
One of the common reasons for high triglycerides is a high-fat diet. When you eat fatty calories, the fat levels in your blood go up. The body also makes triglycerides from the carbohydrates you eat and may send triglycerides to fat cells.
Optimally, your triglyceride level should be less than 150 milligrams per deciliter borderline levels are up to 199 mg/dL over 200 mg/dL is considered high and over 500 mg/dL is very high, according to the CDC.
But triglycerides are not exactly the same as other cholesterol levels. High-density lipoprotein or the good cholesterol keeps cholesterol from building up inside your blood vessels and returns it to your liver. Low-density lipoprotein or the bad cholesterol is the type that forms plaques inside blood vessels, increasing the risk of heart problems.
There’s not as strong an association with increased risk for strokes as heart attacks as LDL cholesterol, says Dr. Laffin, But with triglycerides, it’s definitely there.
You ideally want your total cholesterol to be below 200 mg/dL, but you also need to know the breakdown of your cholesterol levels:
- Your LDL cholesterol level should be below 100 mg/dL the lower the better.
- Your HDL cholesterol level should be above 60 mg/dL the higher the better.
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Understanding The Test Results
A full lipid profile can be an important part of your childs health information. It shows the levels of each type of fat in the blood. These include LDL, HDL, triglycerides, and total cholesterol. Your child’s doctor can tell you what the results should be for your child. In general, healthy levels are:
-
LDL of less than 130 mg/dL
-
HDL of greater than 35 mg/dL
Some children and teens have families with high cholesterol or early heart disease. In these cases, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute advises these levels for cholesterol:
Total cholesterol
Checking Your Blood Cholesterol Level
A cholesterol screening is an overall look at the fats in your blood. Screenings help identify your risk for heart disease. It is important to have what is called a full lipid profile to show the actual levels of each type of fat in your blood: LDL, HDL, triglycerides, and others. Talk with your healthcare provider about when to have this test.
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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.
Causes Of High Triglycerides
In many cases, habitual overeating causes high triglycerides. Occasionally, the trigger is an underlying condition such as:
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Some types of liver disease
- Some types of kidney disease
- Some genetic disorders, including the inherited disease familial hypertriglyceridemia and familial combined hyperlipidemia .
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How To Raise Hdl Cholesterol And Lower Triglycerides
What I have found really works is a simple change in your diet: Lower carbohydrates and increase monounsaturated fats found in nuts, especially almonds, walnuts, pecan, macadamia and pistachios. Increasing the intake olive oil, avocados and fatty fish such as salmon also helps somewhat. Compared to popular belief, exercise does not help to raise your HDL cholesterol or lower triglycerides.
Note On Existing Studies
More research is needed to fully understand whether very high HDL levels increase the risk of death.
The authors of a 2019 study suggest that genetic mutations linked to very high HDL levels, impaired HDL function at high levels, and potential bias in research due to flaws in study design may contribute to the potential link found in some studies.
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What Causes High Triglycerides
There are many factors that can contribute to elevated triglyceride levels. In some cases, the cause can be as simple as a poor diet or unhealthy lifestyle choices. But in other cases, your genes, medical history, and medications can play a part.
To that end, here are some of the most common causes of high triglycerides and normal blood cholesterol levels.
Articles On High Triglycerides
When your triglyceride levels are too high, you may not have symptoms. Its a silent problem with big implications, such as a four-fold increase in the likelihood of having a heart attack or stroke.
A simple blood test is all it takes to check your triglyceride levels. If theyre too high, you can get them back under control, often by changing your daily habits.
If you already know that your triglyceride levels are too high, the actions you take now might even save your life.
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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.
What Is Total Cholesterol
Total cholesterol can be determined in two ways. It can either be directly measured in the blood, or more commonly, it can also be calculated. The calculation takes into account the two main forms of cholesterol HDL and LDL as well as a small fraction of triglycerides. Any one of these three components can skew total cholesterol values. Heres a brief definition of each:
HDL: High density lipoprotein is a protective form of cholesterol that helps to remove harmful particles from circulation before they can cause damage to blood vessels. This process earned it the nickname good cholesterol.
LDL: Low density lipoprotein is a potentially dangerous type of cholesterol that can become oxidized , which can lead to the hardening of arteries. If LDL builds up, it can lead to blockages which can cause serious cardiovascular incidents. LDL is therefore aptly referred to as the bad cholesterol.
Triglycerides: A form of stored fat that circulates in the bloodstream usually from excess weight, calories, alcohol, lack of exercise, liver damage, or genetics.
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Treatment Of High Triglycerides
In most cases, high triglycerides are managed by making lifestyle changes. You may be advised to:
- Exercise for at least 30 minutes every day.
- Eat less, particularly high fat foods.
- Increase the amount of fibre in your diet.
- Avoid high sugar foods such as lollies. Choose foods with a low glycaemic index such as legumes and wholegrain products.
- Eat more fish. Choose fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, mackerel, tuna and trout. Omega-3 in high doses can reduce triglyceride levels.
- Cut back on alcohol. The kilojoules and sugar in alcoholic drinks can raise triglyceride levels.
- Lose excess body fat using a combination of healthy eating and regular exercise.
- Manage coexisting health conditions such as diabetes or hypertension effectively.
How Do Triglycerides Get Into The Blood
When we eat foods containing triglycerides, such as meat, dairy products, cooking oils and fats, they are absorbed by our intestines and packaged into parcels of fats and protein called chylomicrons . These carry the triglycerides in the blood stream to our tissues to be used for energy straight away, or stored for later.
The body also makes its own supply of triglycerides in the liver. This form is carried in a different type of lipoprotein known as VLDL cholesterol.
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Not A Direct Measurement
The LDL measurement is typically considered the most important aspect of your cholesterol profile when it comes to assessing risk. Before you panic about your results, it’s crucial to know that the traditional cholesterol test does not directly measure LDL. The fasting cholesterol test calculates your LDL using a formula called the Friedewald equation. It takes into account your total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein and triglycerides to make an estimate. Because of this limitation, results can be misleading under certain circumstances.
Why Do Triglycerides Matter
Having high triglyceride levels isnt good for your body. High triglycerides can lead to the hardening and narrowing of the arteries, a condition known as atherosclerosis. This condition can worsen, leading to coronary artery disease.
If triglyceride levels become extremely high, you may develop pancreatitis, a condition that causes the pancreas to become inflamed.
High triglycerides can also indicate other negative health conditions that can increase your risk of certain cardiovascular threats. These include:
- Metabolic Syndrome. This refers to a cluster of health conditions that can place you at a higher risk of cardiovascular events. They include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, insulin resistance , and excess weight.
- Type 2 Diabetes. Having high levels of triglycerides can indicate you may also be prediabetic or have developed insulin resistance. A blood test can measure your blood sugar levels.
- Hypothyroidism. In some cases, high blood triglycerides may indicate that your thyroid isnt producing enough hormones.
Because of the increased risks to your heart health, its important to ensure your triglyceride levels are in a healthy range. The good news is that its easy to keep your triglyceride levels low with a few simple dietary and lifestyle changes.
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Low Levels Are Usually Protective
It is well known that high triglycerides are dangerous, but little is known about the influence of low levels on health. Studies suggest that in healthy people, low triglyceride levels are beneficial. Low triglycerides are also good for people with diabetes and might also be protective against heart attacks .
One study even suggests that the lower a persons triglycerides are, the less likely they will be to die from any cause. In this study, almost 14k people were followed for 24 years. The scientist found that levels below 89 mg/dL thats almost twice lower than the borderline-normal value of 150 mg/dL were associated with a 41% lower risk of dying than high levels
So can your levels ever be too low to do any harm?
We still dont have any definitive answers, but we can look for some clues.
Normal Range Of Cholesterol : 0
Ideal values of Cholesterol depending on age :
| Age | |
|---|---|
| > 100 years | 53.579 |
If you want your blood test report to be interpreted by Cholesterol specialist, then you can upload your report. Our Cholesterol expert will provide you with the most accurate interpretation of your blood test results and treatment within 12 hours. Upload blood test report now
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Epidemiological And Clinical Trial Evidence Linking Triglyceride Levels With Risk For Chd
In prospective population-based cohort studies, TG levels were an independent univariate predictor of CHD however, the risk of TG was generally attenuated or eliminated after adjustment, especially for HDL-C levels . The largest meta-analysis to date, the Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration , comprised 302,430 people without initial vascular disease from 68 long-term prospective studies for a total of 12,785 cases of CHD during 2.79 million person-years of follow-up . The HR for the primary outcome for TG was 1.37 after adjustment for nonlipid risk factors. However, after further adjustment for HDL-C and non-HDL-C, the HR for TG was reduced to 0.99 . In case-control studies and angiographic studies, TG has remained an independent predictor after adjustment for TC or LDL-C and HDL-C . In clinical outcome trials, subjects with elevated TG levels showed improvement in CVD risk primarily when high LDL-C and low HDL-C accompanied elevated TG at baseline. On the basis of this, a recent AHA statement on TG concluded that TG levels may provide information on risk especially when combined with low HDL-C and elevated LDL-C .
High Cholesterol With Low Triglycerides
When your triglyceride levels are too high, you may not have symptoms. Its a silent problem with big implications, such as a four-fold increase in the likelihood of having a heart attack or stroke.
A simple blood test is all it takes to check your triglyceride levels. If theyre too high, you can get them back under control, often by changing your daily habits.
If you already know that your triglyceride levels are too high, the actions you take now might even save your life.
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Metabolic Syndrome: Role Of Insulin In Tg
The pathophysiology of metabolic syndrome appears related to a genetic predisposition created by multiple genes coupled with a sedentary lifestyle and a diet containing excess calories. With development of obesity, the ability of adipocytes to store TGs as fat is exceeded therefore, fat is stored in liver and skeletal muscle . Increased levels of circulating FFAs released from adipocytes cause insulin resistance in muscle and other tissues . Adipocyte expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and other cytokines causes infiltration of macrophages and other immune cells into adipocytes . These macrophages release cytokines which cause insulin resistance in muscle, liver and other tissues by impairing insulin signaling due to increased serine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 .