Getting Control Of High Triglycerides
As with many high cholesterol cases, a clinical review published in the November 2019 European Heart Journal found that people with high triglycerides tend to have poor lifestyle habits, such as a high-fat diet, inadequate exercise, and high alcohol consumption.
While medications like statins can help control high triglyceride levels, according to the American Heart Association, healthy lifestyle changes to counter those bad habits and control high triglycerides are even more important than medication.
Here are some of those choices.
Plant Sterols Can Lower Cholesterol Levels
Plant sterols can lower cholesterol levels and are found naturally in plant foods including sunflower and canola seeds, vegetable oils and in nuts, legumes, cereals, fruit and vegetables.
Some margarine, milks and cereals have concentrated plant sterols added to them. The recommended dose is 2 to 3 g per day. Consuming more than this amount does not lead to any harm, however, there are no additional benefits.
What Are Ldl And Hdl Cholesterol
Cholesterol travels through the blood on proteins called lipoproteins. Two types of lipoproteins carry cholesterol throughout the body:
- LDL cholesterol, sometimes called bad cholesterol, makes up most of your bodys cholesterol. High levels of LDL cholesterol raise your risk for heart disease and stroke.
- HDL cholesterol, sometimes called good cholesterol, absorbs cholesterol in the blood and carries it back to the liver. The liver then flushes it from the body. High levels of HDL cholesterol can lower your risk for heart disease and stroke.
When your body has too much LDL cholesterol, the LDL cholesterol can build up on the walls of your blood vessels. This buildup is called plaque, and it can cause health problems, such as heart disease and stroke.
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About Your Cholesterol Result
A cholesterol test can measure:
- total cholesterol the overall amount of cholesterol in your blood, including both “good” and “bad” cholesterol
- total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol ratio the level of good cholesterol in your blood compared to your overall cholesterol level
- good cholesterol this makes you less likely to have heart problems or a stroke
- bad cholesterol this makes you more likely to have heart problems or a stroke
- triglycerides a fatty substance similar to bad cholesterol
When you get your result, you may just be told your total cholesterol.
You might be able to get separate results for your good and bad cholesterol, triglycerides, and your total cholesterol to HDL ratio. Ask your doctor or nurse.
The Symptoms Of High Cholesterol
So, what exactly is high cholesterol? Can you feel it happening in your body?
Well according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, there are no known symptoms linked to high cholesterol. One of the main reasons why high cholesterol is considered to be problematic is that the high levels of cholesterol do not have any outward symptom, and research indicates that persistently increased levels of cholesterol may result in higher incidence of heart disease if it stays high over the time period of several years.
For those maintaining normal levels of cholesterol, it is just a matter of nothing more than diet and lifestyle. Lowering your cholesterol through the use of medication and to incredibly low levels cant actually seem to impact the incidence of coronary artery disease or even death a study that was published in The BMJ in 2016.
For many, the focus has always been on achieving good ratios of different cholesterol levels and practising a proper diet and lifestyle that will give their body the best overall health. So, the one question that is going through your mind is: What causes high cholesterol? Well, lets look into that question this is more likely to happen if you eat a diet that is high in omega-6s but low in omega-3s , also the consumption of processed foods, refined grains, and excess sugar can be the culprit. Smoking, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle can also contribute to the cause of high cholesterol.
So, What Are Normal Cholesterol Level?
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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.
What Is High Cholesterol
There are two major forms of cholesterol: Low-density lipoprotein or LDL, also known as “bad” cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein or HDL, also called “good” cholesterol. LDL is the main source of artery-clogging plaque. HDL, on the other hand, clears cholesterol from your blood.
Besides LDL and HDL, thereâs another kind of fat in your blood called triglycerides. Research shows that high levels of triglycerides, just like high levels of LDL, are linked to heart disease.
Your body needs cholesterol to build new cells, insulate nerves, and make hormones. Having too much, though, is a major risk for heart disease.
Ordinarily, your liver makes all the cholesterol your body needs. But you also get elevated cholesterol from food. You’ll find these in many processed foods like doughnuts, frozen pizza, cookies, and crackers. You can also get it from milk, eggs, meat, and other animal products. Over time, without your even being aware, this extra cholesterol collects inside your body and begins to do damage.
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Dietary Tips To Avoid Cholesterol
Following a healthy diet and lifestyle can help to lower your cholesterol levels over time, including:
- Increase the amount and variety of fresh fruit, vegetables and wholegrain foods you have each day.
- Choose unflavoured and low or reduced-fat milk, yoghurt and other dairy products, or have added calcium alternatives. People with high cholesterol should choose reduced fat varieties.
- Choose a variety of healthy proteins such as lean meat, chicken, seafood, legumes, nuts and seeds. Also limit red meat to one to 3 times per week.
- Eat oily fish such as salmon, sardines and mackerel at least twice a week.
- Incorporate healthy fat choices such as nuts, seeds, avocados, olives and oils for cooking.
- Use herbs and spices to flavour meals, instead of salt.
Medications To Lower High Cholesterol
The goal of cholesterol treatment is to help you prevent a heart attack or stroke. So the drugs your doctor prescribes also depend on your chances for heart disease.
The higher your risk, the more important it is to get your levels down. Your doctor will look at all of your risk factors and decide which medications will help you the most.
Cholesterol-lowering drugs include:
Cholesterol-lowering drugs work best when combined with a low-cholesterol diet and an exercise program.
Statins
Statins block the production of cholesterol in the liver. They lower LDL and triglycerides and can slightly raise HDL. These drugs are the first treatment for most people with high cholesterol. If you already have heart disease, statins reduce the chances of heart attacks. Side effects can include diabetes, liver damage, and, in a few people, muscle tenderness or weakness. If your doctor prescribes statins, you should ask them the percentage by which you should lower your cholesterol. Generally, it will be between 30% and 50%. Commonly used statins include:
Niacin
Bile acid sequestrants
These drugs work inside the intestine, where they bind to bile and prevent your circulatory system from reabsorbing it. Bile is made largely from cholesterol, so these drugs work by reducing the body’s supply of cholesterol. That then lowers both total and LDL cholesterol. The most common side effects are constipation, gas, and upset stomach. Commonly used bile acid sequestrants include:
Fibrates
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How Is It Broken Down
Once in the blood stream, some cholesterol will be carried back to the liver and broken down. The liver uses cholesterol to make bile acids which are released into the intestines to help with digestion. They break down the fats in food.
A small amount of bile acids will leave the body as a waste product in your poo. But most will be absorbed back into the blood, returned to the liver and used again for digestion.
Some treatments for high cholesterol work by stopping bile from being absorbed back into the blood. The liver has to take more cholesterol out of the blood to make more bile, lowering your cholesterol levels.
What Are The Normal Cholesterol Levels For Men And Women
A cholesterol test generally determines 4 distinct numbers: Total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides. Cholesterol being fat, it is not soluble in water. So it cannot circulate freely in the blood. But, the fact is that nature has devised a way to make water-soluble cholesterol, and transport it through the blood. This is by lipoproteins. The LDL or Low-density lipoprotein and the HDL or high-density lipoprotein are the 2 fundamental cholesterol carriers but to make things simpler, they are considered as cholesterol types. In addition, the lipid panel appraises the triglycerides . They have an impact on health in the same manners as cholesterol. At last, the total cholesterol is integrated as well in the results. Apart from these 4 general lipid levels, your doctor may want to access your very low-density lipoprotein or VLDL that is considered bad when high.
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Hdl Cholesterol Vs Ldl Cholesterol
The more research that is conducted, the more doctors are starting to realize that even with two common distinctions of cholesterol, there are still many variations. On a very basic level, there are two types of cholesterol circulating in your body which are LDL and HDL cholesterol. Many people think that LDL is bad cholesterol, but that in fact is not really a fair assessment- it is all cholesterol, and these proteins shuttle fats to and from the cell the only thing is that theyre just different sizes.
So, what is HDL cholesterol? Well lets start with the basics of HDL HDL stands for high-density lipoprotein which means that HDL particles are particularly larger than LDL particles. Your HDL, also called Good Cholesterol, transports cholesterol particles from bodily tissue to the liver where it can be either reused or removed. On the other had LDL stands for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and it is also called Bad Cholesterol. So, should be kept in a specific ratio to HDL particles in order to maintain a low risk for heart disease.
Understanding Cholesterol: Hdl Ldl And Triglycerides
There are two types of grocery shoppersthose who race in with a list in hand and meticulously grab every item on the list before checking out and leaving, and those who meander up and down every aisle, not sure what they want until they see it on the shelf.
But within those two types, theres another shopper you may have seenthe label-reader. This person is health-conscious and examines the nutrition labels of food items before placing them in the cart.
One of the most important categories to check for on a food label is cholesterol.
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in your blood. Your body needs some cholesterol, but too much can build up on the walls of your arteries and can lead to heart disease and stroke. Checking your risk for heart disease and stroke is as simple as getting a lipid panel, which tests your blood cholesterol.
There are four important things checked in a lipid panel:
- Total cholesterol
- Low-density lipoproteins
HDL is known as the good cholesterol because it helps remove cholesterol by carrying it back to the liver where it can be eliminated from the body. Its good to have a high HDL number. LDL is known as the bad cholesterol because having too much LDL may cause a buildup of plaque in your blood vessels. Triglycerides are also a type of fat found in your blood. High triglycerides, low HDL, and/or high LDL numbers can increase your risk for heart attack and stroke.
Generally speaking, normal lab values are:
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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,
High Total Cholesterol High Ldl Cholesterol Low Hdl Cholesterol And High Triglycerides
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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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 .
Hdl To Ldl Cholesterol
It is highly suggested that you should monitor your HDL to LDL cholesterol ratio by making sure that you have a ratio of one HDL particle to every 2.5 LDL particles . A ratio of 1:6 or higher is a sign that your cholesterol is out of control while a ratio of 1:10 or higher is considered to be dangerously unhealthy. So how do you find out where you fall? Well in order to calculate that you multiply you HDL number by 2.5. If your result turns out to be the same or higher as your LDL cholesterol number than your ratio is said to be in a good range.
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What Kind Of Test Measures Cholesterol
Your provider checks your cholesterol levels through a blood test called a lipid panel . Your provider will draw blood from a vein in your arm and send the blood to a lab for analysis. Be sure to closely follow your providers instructions on how to prepare for the test. Youll likely need to fast for 12 hours beforehand. This means avoiding all foods and drinks except water.
When your results come in, your provider will let you know. You may also be able to access your results through your electronic medical record.
Your lipid panel gives you the following numbers:
Are My Cholesterol Hdl And Ldl Levels Okay
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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.
Cholesterol Hdl Ldl Triglycerides Ratio Calculator
Cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides ratio calculator explains you what your TC, HDL, LDL and triglyceride levels mean and whether you are under any risk for heart and cardiovascular diseases. The calculator shows you interpretation of your cholesterol levels and the TC/HDL, LDL/HDL and triglyceride/HDL ratios. Elevated total cholesterol is not necessarily an alarm and doesn’t always present the whole truth about the condition of the body, while elevated triglycerides in the blood increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, including risk of coronary artery disease , risk of heart attack and stroke, more than elevated total cholesterol.Do you have results in mmol/l? How to convert mmol/l to mg/dl?For total, HDL, and LDL cholesterol multiply mmol/l by 38.67, for example 4.5 x 38.67 = 174 For triglycerides multiply mmol/l by 88.57, for example 1.4 x 88,57 = 124 How to use calculator? Select your gender, enter your total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides numbers. Press the button “Interpretation of the results, calculate the ratios”. That?s all!
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