What Causes High Cholesterol
As mentioned before, high levels of cholesterol may substantially impact our overall life. So it’s worth knowing what the causes of high cholesterol are.
Hypercholesterolemia is often caused by thyroid insufficiency, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. It may also be caused by genetic disorders, such as familial hypercholesterolemia, which is not that rare about 0.3% of the population have mutations causing high LDL-cholesterol!
Nevertheless, the most important factor influencing your lipid and cholesterol levels is your lifestyle! Diet has an impact on cholesterol levels, but the size of its impact differs between individual patients. The results of a meta-analysis Does Dietary Cholesterol Matter? published in 2016 reveal that the intake of high-cholesterol food causes an increase in serum cholesterol levels. Also, trans fatty acids have a strong atherogenic potential they reduce levels of HDL-cholesterol while increasing levels of LDL-cholesterol .
If you are in the risk group of hipercholesterolemia, check out blood sugar converter and calorie calculator, and start living healthier!
Pairwise Comparison With Metabolic Syndrome Parameters
Pairwise comparison of receiver operating characteristic analysis for incident IHD revealed that the AUC of TG/HDL-C was significantly higher than that of metabolic syndrome , which was similar to that of the number of metabolic syndrome components . In the longitudinal model, the AUC, sensitivity, and specificity of TG/HDL-C were 0.607, 64.2, and 52.1%, respectively .
Table 5. TG/HDL-C vs. metabolic syndrome and the number of metabolic syndrome components for predicting ischemic heart disease.
Recommended Reading: How To Lower Triglycerides And A1c
The Triglyceride/hdl Cholesterol Ratio What Is Ideal
The TG/HDL-C ratio can easily be calculated from the standard lipid profile. Just divide your TG by your HDL-C.
However, when looking at the ideal ratio, you have to check if your lipid values are provided in mg/dl like in the US or mmol/L like in Australia, Canada, and most European countries.
If lipid values are expressed as mg/dl
TG/HDL-C ratio less than 2 is ideal
TG/HDL-C ratio above 4 is too high
TG/HDL-C ratio above 6 is much too high
If you are using mmol/L you have to multiply this ratio by 0.4366 to attain the correct reference values. You can also multiply your ratio by 2.3 and use the reference values above.
If lipid values are expressed as mmol/L
TG/HDL-C ratio less than 0.87 is ideal
TG/HDL-C ratio above 1.74 is too high
TG/HDL-C ratio above 2.62 is much too high
In this article, TG/HDL-C ratio is provided as in the US .
Recommended Reading: How To Drop Cholesterol Without Drugs
Can Lowering Carbs Actually Improve Tg/hdl Rc And Cv Risk
Yes. There is plenty of evidence showing this. Multiple studies range from clinical trials in animals and humans to meta-analyses. Here are 4 of them:
- The Abbasi study was a human clinical trial using a crossover design. People ate high carbs for 2 weeks, then low carbs for 2 weeks, with a washout period of 2 weeks in between. The high-carb diet doubled TG levels, tripled remnant cholesterol, and lowered HDL by 15% .
- The Wang study is a randomized clinical trial in laboratory mice .
- The Volek study is a meta-analysis. It reviews pre-2005 studies which had already shown that low-carb diets decrease triglycerides and remnant cholesterol while increasing HDL cholesterol level .
- The Ebbeling study was also a human subjects clinical trial. It was done at Harvard. Subjects on a low-carb diet had lower TG and higher HDL cholesterol. Also, researchers showed that low-carb diets were less likely to result in weight rebound due to improved energy expenditure and leptin .
My name is Ford Brewer. My team and I work to prevent heart attack, stroke, cancer, and dementia. Our goal is to help you understand how to prevent major killers and disablers. Most of them are driven by the process of cardiovascular inflammation.
If you want to know more about the science of preventive medicine or you have questions about certain aspects of your health, check out our webinars, membership programs, and online courses.
Does Resveratrol Raise Cholesterol
Many people in the life extension community take resveratrol. Some take it because they believe its an effective sirtuin 1 gene activator. But even those who arent impressed by its sirtuin activation often take if for other reasons.
One study suggests that resveratrol could actually cause LDL levels to increase in people with metabolic syndrome. But this conclusion is contradicted by this recent meta analysis. According to it:
The findings of current systematic review and meta-analysis showed that resveratrol supplementation among patients with MetS and related disorders significantly reduced total cholesterol and increased GGT concentrations, but did not affect triglycerides, LDL-, HDL-cholesterol, ALT, and AST concentrations.
Recommended Reading: Is High Cholesterol A Disease
When Should You Contact Your Healthcare Provider About Your Cholesterol Levels
In truth, your healthcare provider will probably talk to you about your numbers first. As always, contact your provider if you have any new or worsening pain or other uncomfortable feelings. Make sure you know what medications you take and what they are expected to do. Call the provider if you have a reaction to the medicine.
Before you go to the office, and after you have had a cholesterol test, it helps to have a list of questions prepared about your test results and any proposed treatment.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
When considering cholesterol numbers, its important to remember that you really have the ability to make those numbers go in your favor. What you choose to eat, how much you are able to move and how you deal with lifes ups and downs are things that you can influence.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 07/31/2020.
References
Dont Miss: How To Lower Your Bad Cholesterol
Triglyceride/hdl Ratio Predicts Heart Attacks Diabetes
~Dr. Gabe Mirkins Fitness and Health e-Zine
Two blood tests that are done during routine physical exams can be used to predict whether you are at increased risk for a heart attack . Its called the triglyceride/HDL ratio, calculated by dividing your triglycerides number by your HDL number.
- Your triglycerides should be below 150 mg/dL
- Your HDL cholesterol should be above 40
- Thus your Triglycerides/HDL ratio should be under 3.75
The triglycerides/HDL ratio also predicts risk for diabetes and pre-diabetes :345-9). Almost fifty percent of North American adults already have diabetes or pre-diabetes , diseases that damage every cell in your body to cause heart attacks, strokes, dementia, impotence, many cancers, blindness, deafness, and premature death. If your triglyceride/HDL ratio is above 3.75, you are at increased risk for pre-diabetes or diabetes. Check with your doctor. Since the majority of cases of diabetes are caused by a faulty lifestyle, not just by genetics, diabetes is both a preventable and curable disease with lifestyle changes. Many people with pre-diabetes and early diabetes can return to normal by changing their lifestyles long before they develop any symptoms of the disease.
Dont Miss: How To Prepare Oatmeal To Lower Cholesterol
Also Check: How Much Cholesterol In One Day
Ratio Of Triglycerides To Hdl Cholesterol Is An Indicator Of Ldl Particle Size In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes And Normal Hdl Cholesterol Levels
R Boizel, P Y Benhamou, B Lardy, F Laporte, T Foulon, S Halimi Ratio of triglycerides to HDL cholesterol is an indicator of LDL particle size in patients with type 2 diabetes and normal HDL cholesterol levels.. Diabetes Care 1 November 2000 23 : 16791685.
The Triglyceride/ Hdl Ratio
The triglyceride/HDL ratio is one test, and both are components of the lipid profile. Lipid profiles are routinely ordered to check for total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides levels.
The triglyceride/HDL ratio is the value of the triglyceride divided by the HDL.
A study compared the Triglyceride/HDL ratio among different racial and ethnic groups in the US. The study compared the triglyceride/HDL ratio and fasting insulin. Fasting insulin is another measure of insulin resistance.
In the study , TG/HDL 3.5 correlates with insulin resistance across three BMI categories and three ethnic groups, namely the non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, and Mexican Americans.
The optimal cut-off point of the TG/HDL-C ratio for predicting insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia was 3.0 for non-Hispanic whites and Mexican Americans and 2.0 for non-Hispanic blacks.
The TG/HDL-C ratio with hyperinsulinemia was stronger among people with a BMI < 25 kg/m2 than those with a BMI 30 kg/m2. The significance of that finding is early detection. High triglyceride levels happen first before excess visceral fat or obesity if obvious. Some people with high triglycerides may not even be obese.
The use of that high TG/HDL to dete4c insulin resistance in the non-obese will be duplicated in children and proven with another study below.
Also Check: What Causes High Hdl Cholesterol
Also Check: How To Bring Cholesterol Levels Down Fast
How To Determine Your Lipid Profile By Using A Cholesterol Calculator
Based on your blood sample test results, you can easily calculate the most common cholesterol parameters essential for the health of your heart and overall wellness. They can be provided by the lipid profile calculation chart. And they include LDL/HDL, triglycerides/HDL, and total cholesterol/HDL ratios. You need to know the four fundamental values to use a cholesterol levels calculator.
In order to calculate total cholesterol, you need only three values, which are interconnected according to this formula: TC=HDL+LDL+0.2xTG . Lets first determine the normal and elevated values before calculating their ratios which serve as reliable indicators of CVD risk.
- high-fat dairy products
You should also note that if you decide to cut fat from your diet completely, cholesterol will not normalize by itself.
There are some tips on how to maintain a normal cholesterol level:
- Eat foods rich in soluble fiber.
- Include the recommended number of servings of fruits and vegetables in your diet.
- Quit smoking and excessive drinking, as alcohol and cholesterol levels are interrelated.
- Restrict high-calorie sweet and fatty foods.
- Engage in regular physical activity.
- Lose excess weight and maintain a normal BMI.
Interestingly, garlic has been shown to reduce liver cholesterol production. And oatmeal has a similar effect. Moreover, research relates the ketogenic diet and cholesterol levels. In fact, it has confirmed that this diet can help lower total cholesterol and LDL while increasing HDL levels.
Lipid Profiles And What They Mean
Lipid profiles include Triglyceride, HDL, LDL, mid-band, and very-low-density lipoprotein . The values from them are used to stratify cardiovascular risk.
The latest European Society of Cardiology and European Atherosclerosis Society guidelinesrecommended LDL-C as the primary lipid analysis followed by Triglyceride and HDL.
Non- HDL-Cholesterol or non-HDL-C is total cholesterol minus the HDL. Non-HDL-C is used to estimate the total amount of atherogenic lipoproteins in plasma. The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence recommends non-HDL-C as a better risk indicator than LDL-C.
The featured study aims to know if using information from the lipid profile may be a better predictor of small dense LDL.
Don’t Miss: Is Milk Bad For Cholesterol
You Can Check Your Own Triglyceride/hdl Ratio
Look at your most recent blood tests for your triglyceride and HDL cholesterol numbers. If your triglyceride/HDL ratio is greater than 3.75, you are likely to be at least pre-diabetic. If you can also pinch more than three inches of fat under the skin on your belly, you may already be diabetic. Check with your doctor. Realize that you cannot cure diabetes with drugs alone you must change your lifestyle to prevent or cure diabetes:
- restrict foods and drinks with added sugars, fried foods, red meat and processed meats
- eat more fruits and vegetables
- get blood levels of hydroxy vitamin D above 50 nmol/L
Note: Pre-diabetics and diabetics can have triglyceride/HDL ratios under 3.75. Your doctor will probably do additional tests for your diagnosis and treatment. A more dependable test is blood sugar taken two hours after you eat. If this is above 140, you are at least pre-diabetic.
The Importance Of The Triglyceride/hdl Ratio
The published evidence is quite clear in documenting that the actual total cholesterol level itself is not the most important risk factor of cardiovascular disease.
It is the ratio between the level of HDL-good cholesterol and total cholesterol that we need to be concerned about.
Therefore, in adults, the HDL-good cholesterol/total cholesterol ratio should be higher than 0.24 .
Or more precisely, the HDL/total cholesterol ratio:
- 0.24 or higher is considered ideal
- under 0.24 low
- less than 0.10 very dangerous.
Generally speaking, the higher the ratio, the better .
However, HDL is closely related to triglycerides.
It appears common for people with high triglycerides to have low HDLs, and these same people also tend to have high levels of clotting factors in their blood stream, which is unhealthy in protecting against heart disease.
Therefore, in adults, the triglyceride/HDL-good cholesterol ratio should be below 2 .
Or more precisely, the triglyceride/HDL ratio:
- 2 or less is considered ideal
- 6 much too high
- And, since HDL is protective against heart disease, the lower the ratio, the better.
In other words, the lower your triglycerides, or the higher your HDL, the smaller this ratio becomes.
It is now believed that the triglycerides/HDL ratio is one of the most potent predictors of heart disease.
A Harvard-lead study author reported:
High triglycerides alone increased the risk of heart attack nearly three-fold.
Supporting Citations:
Read Also: Meal Plan For High Cholesterol And Triglycerides
Study Design And Population
The study population was derived from the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry database. The KAMIR is a prospective, multicenter, on-line registry of AMI patients in Korea that is been supported by the Korean Society of Cardiology since November 2005. From November 2005 to July 2008, 13,897 patients diagnosed with AMI were enrolled in the KAMIR database. We excluded patients with in-hospital death or who were lost to follow-up within 12 months of AMI. Also, patients who lacked data necessary for the calculation of the TG/HDL-C ratio or estimated glomerular filtration rate were excluded, as were patients with no data on coronary angiography or failed percutaneous coronary intervention . Additionally, patients missing data about medications were not included. Overall, as shown in Fig 1, a total of 7,016 patients were enrolled in this study. Because the TG/HDL-C ratio was not normally distributed in the study population, we stratified the patients into tertiles according to their TG/HDL-C ratio: low middle and high .
Study flow chart.
KAMIR, Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry AMI, acute myocardial infarction TG/HDL-C, triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate PCI, percutaneous coronary intervention.
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
Recommended Reading: How Does Unsaturated Fat Affect Cholesterol
These Changes Also Can Include Other Important Factors Such As Blood Sugar Weight And Body Fat Blood Pressure And Other Tests In Addition To Those Associated With Mental
References
Dong T, et al. The effects of low-carbohydrate diets on cardiovascular risk factors: A meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2020 15:e0225348. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225348.
Wakabayashi I, Daimon T. Comparison of discrimination for cardio-metabolic risk by different cut-off values of the ratio of triglycerides to HDL cholesterol. Lipids Health Dis. 2019. 18, 156. doi.org/10.1186/s12944-019-1098-0.
Hajian-Tilaki K, et al. Triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratios are predictors of cardiovascular risk in Iranian adults: Evidence from a population-based cross-sectional study. Caspian J Intern Med. 2020 11. doi:10.22088/cjim.11.1.53.
Tags:
Why Is There Tg In The Blood
The most common reason for elevated triglycerides is prediabetes. Chronically high insulin stimulates adipokines and hormone-sensitive lipase. This results in the release of too many fatty acids from fat cells. These excess fatty acids take up space in HDL and LDL particles.
TG can also become elevated in several inherited diseases.
Don’t Miss: How Much Cholesterol In A Sweet Potato
What Happens If High Cholesterol Goes Untreated
High blood levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides have been linked to the development of CVDs, along with other factors such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus. The risk of damage to the vascular walls and the formation of deposits and blockages increases when there is more bad and less good cholesterol in our blood. The good news is that the reduction in total cholesterol by 1% leads to a 2% reduction in the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Increased cholesterol levels may be caused by a familial predisposition as well, as is the case in about 3% of people. Usually, blood cholesterol is high from an early age and is unaffected by the diet. In these cases, specialists recommend taking lipid-lowering agents such as statins from a younger age. These drugs are prescribed and taken under medical supervision.
However, it is a myth that lipid-lowering medication can be stopped as soon as your results are within the cholesterol and triglycerides normal range. The levels may be lowered, but if you stop taking the drug, the cholesterol, and especially LDL, will rise again. You should consult your doctor about any change in your treatment.
In about 20% of the population, high LDL cholesterol levels are associated with another underlying condition such as:
- increased adrenal function
Triglyceride/hdl Cholesterol Ratio And Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance is a condition in which cells fail to respond to the normal actions of insulin. Most people with this condition have high levels of insulin in their blood. Insulin resistance appears to play a significant role in coronary heart disease and can predict mortality. The condition is common among individuals with abdominal obesity and the metabolic syndrome.
A study in which most of the participants were Caucasian and overweight identified TG/HDL-C ratio of 3 or greater as a reliable predictor of insulin resistance.
However, not all studies have found the TG/HDL-C ratio to be associated with insulin resistance. For example, in a relatively small study of 125 African American participants, neither fasting TG nor the TG/HDL-C ratio was shown to be a marker of insulin resistance.
Although confirmatory studies are needed, data suggests that an elevated TG/HDL-C ratio may be clinically useful for the prediction of insulin resistance.
Don’t Miss: Best Diets For High Triglycerides