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Low Triglycerides And High Hdl

Why Can Cholesterol Be Bad

Forget LDL-Cholesterol, Low Triglycerides More Important (here’s why)

Cholesterol circulates in your blood and having too much cholesterol raises your risk of cardiovascular diseases like heart disease and stroke, the AHA explains. Its generally thought that too much LDL cholesterol and not enough HDL cholesterol increases the risk that cholesterol will build up in the inner walls of the arteries that go to your heart and brain.

When that build-up happens, it can narrow your arteries and make them less flexible , the AHA explains. And, if a blood clot forms and blocks a narrowed artery, it can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

Study Suggests Hdl Or Good Cholesterol Less Beneficial Than Previously Thought Especially For Black Adults

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High-density lipoprotein, or HDL, cholesterol — often referred to as the “good” cholesterol — may not be as useful in predicting the risk of heart disease and protecting against it as previously thought, according to new researched funded by the National Institutes of Health.

A study from the 1970s found that high levels of HDL cholesterol concentration were associated with low coronary heart disease risk, a link that has since been widely accepted and used in heart disease risk assessments. However, only White Americans were included in that study.

Now, research published Monday in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that low levels of HDL cholesterol were associated with higher risk of heart attack among white adults, but the same was not true among Black adults. Also, higher levels of HDL cholesterol were not found to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease for either group.

“It’s been well accepted that low HDL cholesterol levels are detrimental, regardless of race. Our research tested those assumptions,” said Nathalie Pamir, a senior author of the study and an associate professor of medicine at the Knight Cardiovascular Institute at Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, in a news release. “It could mean that in the future, we don’t get a pat on the back by our doctors for having higher HDL cholesterol levels.”

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.

Read Also: Does Olive Oil Increase Cholesterol

What You Can Do

Many of the steps you should take to lower triglycerides are the same ones you should take to protect your heart and health overall.

If you’re overweight, shed a few pounds. Get regular aerobic exercise . Limit the saturated fats in meat and dairy products. Watch your alcohol intake, even moderate drinking ramps up triglyceride levels. And diet? High-carb/low-fat eating will increase your triglycerides and lower your HDL.

If you’re taking a statin to lower your LDL, one side benefit may be reduced triglyceride levels. Depending on the dose, statins can lower triglycerides by 20%40%.

The omega-3 fats in fish and capsules are another triglyceride-lowering option. For a very high triglyceride level, your doctor can prescribe a high-dose omega-3 medication.

Image: udra/Getty Images

How The Ldl Hdl Ratio And Triglycerides Tests Are Done :

How To Figure Out Hdl Ldl Ratio / Association of Triglyceride

If your doctor wants LDL HDL ratio and Triglycerides tests on you, you may need to go through these tests. During the LDL HDL ratio and Triglycerides blood tests, a pathologist will put a needle into your veins and take out a small quantity of blood. A pathologist is a physician in the medical field who thoroughly studies the causes and effects of disease. Within a few hours you will get your LDL HDL ratio and Triglycerides Test reports by your pathologist.

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Consult A Doctor For Your Ldl Hdl Ratio Problem

High LDL HDL ratio and low Triglycerides can be caused by a lot of reasons. If you take LDL HDL ratio and Triglycerides blood tests and the results are higher than 3 Ratio for LDL HDL ratio and lower than 0 mg/dL for Triglycerides, your physician may recommend more tests to figure out the problem. You might also get these tests if your physician thinks you have some other disease.

How Quickly Can I Lower My Cholesterol

Your cholesterol levels may lower as quickly as a few weeks to a few months, depending on your treatment plan.

If your levels are very high, your healthcare provider may recommend taking medications at the start of your treatment plan. This may help lower your cholesterol levels more quickly. The sooner you can lower your bad cholesterol levels, the sooner you can lower your risk for plaques to form.

You can also lower your cholesterol through lifestyle and diet changes alone, but it may take three to six months to see results. Talk with your healthcare provider to figure out the best treatment plan for you.

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Does Your Total Cholesterol Number Even Matter

As one of the most ordered lab tests, total cholesterol can provide a high level glance at how your body is handling lipids, or fats. According to the CDC, roughly nine percent of all doctors visits include a cholesterol test.1 So, how should you interpret your total cholesterol value? Is the whole greater than the sum of its parts?

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High Total Cholesterol High Ldl Cholesterol Low Hdl Cholesterol And High Triglycerides

How to Raise Your HDL & Lower Your Triglycerides (NOT what you Think)

High alert! This is the most dangerous combination of lipid markers. Roughly 32% of Americans have elevated LDL cholesterol, according to the CDC.1 In this ratio, where high LDL is coupled with low HDL, the risk of developing cardiovascular disease is high. It is very important here to bring down LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol to help combat the bad LDL. The ratio of HDL to LDL is very important.

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Do High Tg Levels Affect Hdl And Ldl Cholesterol Levels

The image below shows how LDLs and HDLs transport TG. It is from the National Lipid Associations website, used with permission from Tom Dayspring .

Here, an enzyme called CETP facilitates the exchange of cholesterol in large HDL and large LDL with TG. What CETP does is it takes cholesterol out of large HDL and LDL particles and then transfers TG into these particles. In turn, hepatic lipase metabolizes TG-rich HDLs and LDLs, leading to smaller HDLs and LDLs.

In a nutshell, high TG levels affect HDL and LDL levels. And prediabetes leads to high TG levels.

Look at the image below showing what a lipid profile would look like in a patient with prediabetes.

  • The patient has elevated TG levels , a low HDL cholesterol level , and a high LDL cholesterol level .
  • There was a decrease in the size of HDLs. Normally, the HDL curve should be a smooth bell curve peaking where the red circle is drawn. Here, the large HDLs are taken out.
  • There was also a decrease in the size of LDLs. Though the LDL has a good bell curve at the right, the curves peak shifted to the left. This means there are more smaller and denser LDLs.
  • Aside from prediabetes, this patient actually has another problemfamilial hypercholesterolemia . Neither condition was noticed before the patient came to us.

    To make matters worse, the patient also has an elevated TG/HDL216/34 or 6.4! I recommend a goal of 1.5 or less.

    Preventive Steps For High Cholesterol And Heart Health

    When you have high cholesterol, staying heart-healthy requires more than a regimen of statins. Even if youre on medication, it is absolutely essential to make lifestyle changes: Stop smoking , drink alcohol only in moderation, eat well, build exercise into your life, and get to a healthy weight, Dr. Rocco says. Smoking cessation alone can boost HDL 5 percent, while for every 7 pounds you lose, youll see a 1 mg increase in HDL. Regular moderate-intensity exercise raises HDL as much as 6 percent, he adds.

    Contrary to prior nutritional information, there is not a clear link between dietary intake of cholesterol and increased cardiovascular risk the focus is on lowering saturated fat and trans fat in the diet. The new 2015 dietary guidelines by the U.S. government removed the limitation on cholesterol in the diet.

    Features of a Mediterranean diet include:

    • Eating primarily plant-based foods
    • Using olive oil in place of butter
    • Enjoying fish and poultry at least twice a week

    Adopting this kind of diet, along with exercise, pays off not just in terms of heart disease, but overall, Andersen says. Its really an anti-aging plan.

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    Why The Test Is Performed

    Triglycerides are usually measured together with other blood fats. Often it is done to help determine your risk of developing heart disease. A high triglyceride level may lead to atherosclerosis, which increases your risk for heart attack and stroke.

    A very high triglyceride level may also cause swelling of your pancreas .

    How To Raise Hdl Cholesterol And Lower Triglycerides

    Understanding Cholesterol : CCE Suffolk County Family Health &  Wellness ...

    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.

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    High Cholesterol High Hdl Low Triglycerides

    Dr T

    Question: Answer:

    There are 2 kinds of LDL cholesterol, A and B, of which B is associated with heart disease.Most labs calculate LDL as follows:

    LDL = Total Cholesterol HDL triglycerides/5.

    This doesnt explain the difference between LDL A or B .

    Studies have shown that there is a strong correlation between a low triglyceride/high HDL level and LDL pattern A .

    On the other hand, a high triglyceride/low HDL level is strongly associated with LDL pattern B . Thus high triglycerides are an independent risk factor for heart disease.

    From this you can calculate that in your situation a high LDL is mostly Type A , confirmed by a high HDL and low triglyrerides and that therefore there a very low risk of heart disease.

    Having high cholesterol may still be healthy if good cholesterol levels, triglycerides, and other markers of cardiovascular health are good. You can calculate this here. People with high good cholesterol levels and low levels of triglycerides may actually be at a lower risk for heart disease than people with normal cholesterol levels who have lower levels of good cholesterol and higher levels of bad cholesterol.

    Hope this helps,

    How To Prepare For The Test

    You should not eat for 8 to 12 hours before the test.

    Alcohol and some medicines can interfere with blood test results.

    • Make sure your health care provider knows what medicines you take, including over-the-counter drugs and supplements.
    • Your provider will tell you if you need to stop taking any medicines before you have this test.
    • DO NOT stop or change your medicines without talking to your provider first.

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    High Total Cholesterol Normal Ldl High Hdl Normal Triglycerides

    In this case, the high total cholesterol is less troublesome since its largely due to elevated HDL . The fact that HDL is high and LDL is normal also makes for a favorable HDL:LDL ratio. Although, extremely high levels of HDL cholesterol can be due to genetics. Generally, HDL levels shouldnt exceed 116 mg/dL for men and 135 mg/dL for women.2

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    What Can Affect My Ldl Level

    What natural ways to lower high cholesterol & triglycerides levels? – Ms. Ranjani Raman

    Things that can affect your LDL level include:

    • Diet. Saturated fat and cholesterol in the food you eat make your blood cholesterol level rise
    • Weight. Being overweight tends to raise your LDL level, lower your HDL level, and increase your total cholesterol level
    • Physical Activity. A lack of physical activity can lead to weight gain, which can raise your LDL level
    • Smoking.Cigarette smoking lowers your HDL cholesterol. Since HDL helps to remove LDL from your arteries, if you have less HDL, that can contribute to you having a higher LDL level.
    • Age and Sex. As women and men get older, their cholesterol levels rise. Before the age of menopause, women have lower total cholesterol levels than men of the same age. After the age of menopause, womens LDL levels tend to rise.
    • Genetics. Your genes partly determine how much cholesterol your body makes. High cholesterol can run in families. For example, familial hypercholesterolemia is an inherited form of high blood cholesterol.

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    Lower Triglyceride Levels Are Associated With Better Endothelial Function

    FMD values were highest in the group with extremely low levels of triglycerides.

    Lower triglyceride levels are associated with better endothelial function.

    The group with extremely low triglycerides had fewer atherosclerosis risk factors.

    The odds ratio for a lower quartile of FMD remained independently lower.

    Low Hdl And Low Triglycerides

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    How Does The Mayo Clinic Help With Triglycerides

    Mayo Clinic states that the same diet and lifestyle changes that help lower cholesterol and improve general health will help lower triglycerides. Like cholesterol, triglycerides are a kind of fat that circulates through the body in the bloodstream.

    What foods to eat to lower your triglycerides?

    Fatty fish has high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce your triglycerides a type of fat found in blood as well as reduce your blood pressure and risk of developing blood clots. In people who have already had heart attacks, omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of sudden death.

    High Hdl Cholesterol And Low Triglycerides Can Be Caused By Many Reasons

    Keeping it Simple (KISBYTO): National Cholesterol Education Month

    If your HDL cholesterol is in between 40 mg/dL and 60 mg/dL and your Triglycerides is in between 0 mg/dL and 150 mg/dL then you need not worry as these are the normal ranges for HDL cholesterol and Triglycerides respectively. But if your levels are lesser or greater than the above values, then there may be some problem in your body.

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    Cholesterol Tests And Their Results

    The United Stated Preventive Services Task Force , which makes healthcare screening recommendations for Americans, suggests that men 35 and older, and women 45 and older, have their lipids screened at least once. It also recommends that both men and women at increased risk for coronary heart disease with a history of heart disease in the family, for example be screened for lipid disorders starting at age 20. Other medical societies recommend testing cholesterol more aggressively, including the AHA, which advises having your cholesterol checked every four to six years starting at age 20 .

    Until very recently, patients had been told to fast for 9 to 12 hours before being tested. Now, new research involving more than 300,000 people, published in April 2016 in the European Heart Journal, says its not necessary to do a cholesterol test on an empty stomach, though some doctors still recommend it.

    A cholesterol test measures HDL, LDL, and triglycerides other lipoproteins may be tested by a lipid specialist. A lab report may list your results for each of these, with additional information showing desirable targets in milligrams per deciliter :

    Total Cholesterol

    • Above 500: very high

    Cholesterol Ratio

    This measures your level of HDL cholesterol in relation to your total. An optimal ratio is less than 3.5 to 1. A higher ratio means youre more at risk for heart disease.

    Atherosclerosis And Cardiovascular Disease

    Despite being called good cholesterol, research suggests that very high levels of HDL may increase your risk of mortality.

    In a 2017 Danish study , researchers analyzed the rate of mortality in groups of 52,268 European men and 64,240 women over an average of 6.4 years.

    The researchers found the lowest mortality rates at HDL levels of 73 mg/dL in men and 93 mg/dL in women. Mortality rates increased significantly with HDL levels above 97 mg/dL in men and 135 mg/dL in women.

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