Triglycerides

Cholesterol levels should be measured at least once every 5 years in everyone over age 20. The screening test that is usually done is a blood test called a lipid profile. Experts recommend that men 35 and older and women 45 and older be screened for lipid disorders more often. The lipoprotein profile includes: • • LDL, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, also called "bad" cholesterol • HDL, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or "good" cholesterol • Triglycerides, fats carried in the blood from the food we eat. Extra calories, alcohol, or sugar are turned into triglycerides and stored in fat cells throughout the body. Results of your The first thing you need to know is that the numbers by themselves are not enough to predict your risk of They’re just one part of a larger equation that includes your age, your The more risk factors you have, the higher your risk of heart problems and Together, you and your doctor will develop a strategy to reduce your risks. LDL Cholesterol If your LDL is 190 or more, it is considered very high. Your doctor will most likely recommend a You may also need to take a statin even though your LDL level is lower than 190. After figuring your 10-year risk, your doctor will recommend a percentage by which you should try to lower your LDL level through diet, HDL Cholesterol When it comes to Triglycerides Triglycerides Triglyceride Category Less than 150 Normal 150 - 199 Mildly High 200 - 499 High 500 or higher Very high When you have high Your doct...

Niacin has long been used to lower triglycerides and to increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. This "good" cholesterol helps remove low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the "bad" cholesterol, from the bloodstream. But niacin isn't for everyone. People who take niacin in addition to common cholesterol medications see very little additional benefit. And niacin can cause uncomfortable and sometimes dangerous side effects. When it's used as a treatment to improve cholesterol numbers or correct a vitamin deficiency, niacin is sold in higher doses available by prescription. Niacin is also available as an over-the-counter supplement. Supplements are not regulated like prescription medications. The ingredients, formulations and effects of over-the-counter niacin can vary widely. Don't take niacin without discussing it with your health care provider first because niacin can cause serious side effects when taken in high doses. The risk of heart disease is also increased in men who have HDL levels below 40 mg/dL (1.0 mmol/L) and in women who have HDL levels below 50 mg/dL (1.3 mmol/L). There's currently some debate about the exact role HDL plays in the body and in the development of heart disease. But HDL has generally been thought to pick up excess bad cholesterol in the blood and take it to the liver for disposal, which is why HDL is dubbed the good cholesterol. Despite niacin's ability to lower triglycerides and raise HDL, research suggests that niacin therapy ...

A Word From Verywell Checking your triglyceride levels is an important part of monitoring your overall health. Since triglycerides are part of a lipid test, you will also see other values recorded, such as total cholesterol. Talk to your healthcare provider about the lipid test and discuss ways to improve your numbers, if necessary. You do not want to panic if you see high triglyceride levels on the lipid test. Although you may have a higher risk of certain diseases, there are steps you can take to lower the risk. It may take time to see results and lower numbers, but do not get discouraged. Consider joining a support group or asking friends and family for help.

Chances are, you've heard that having healthy triglyceride levels in your blood is important. But what exactly are triglycerides, and how do they work in your body? And when you have high levels, is it possible to manage them with lifestyle, and can food make a difference? The good news is, according to food and health pros, what you eat can help. We've rounded up some of the foods that can lower triglycerides, and there are plenty of whole foods on the list. What are triglycerides, and why are they important? "Triglycerides are a type of blood lipid (or fat molecules) and they're made up of free fatty acids. They're stored in your body fat, but you'll also find them in your blood," says nutritionist Jessica Ash, CNC, HHC, FDN-P and founder of "It's important to know that triglycerides, like cholesterol, are normally protective (aka the body produces them as a protective mechanism in response to a "threat"). But triglycerides are used for energy, whereas cholesterol is used for steroid hormone production," Ash explains. "And our muscles are specifically what like to uptake fatty acids or triglycerides. So they're fatty acids that the body usually uses for energy." Your body needs energy from food to function. But excess energy, especially from sources like simple carbohydrates, can be stored as triglycerides, which can create issues if your triglyceride levels are elevated above the normal range. According to the What can you do to lower high triglyceride levels? Because y...

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High triglyceride levels, known as hypertriglyceridemia, may not cause symptoms. However, they can indicate underlying issues and are a risk factor for several health conditions. In people with other risk factors, regular tests for triglyceride levels are important so that doctors can identify when they are raised and check for related issues, including high Dietary changes and increased physical activity often form the first line of treatment to bring down triglyceride levels. In some cases, doctors may also recommend medications to speed this effect. Share on Pinterest erdikocak/Getty Images Triglycerides are a type of fat. The Although the body naturally makes triglycerides, some may come from the food that a person eats. After a person eats a meal, their body takes the excess calories that it does not immediately need and turns them into triglycerides. This causes the triglyceride levels to rise temporarily after a meal. The body can store these as fat to burn later when it needs energy between meals. Regularly eating Consistently high triglyceride levels may increase the risk of some health conditions, including In this condition, triglycerides mix with other substances in the blood, such as cholesterol, and stick to the walls of the arteries, causing them to narrow. Atherosclerosis is a risk factor for High triglyceride levels may also increase the risk of other issues in the organs, such as fat accumulation in the liver or pancreas. A buildup of fat may lead to Seve...

Beans have fiber and other nutrients going for them. But if they're made with sugar or pork, they may not be the best choice. The label on the can should say what's in there, and how much sugar and fat you're getting. Switch to black beans, which are a great source of fiber and protein, without saturated fats or added sugar. No doubt: Fruit is good for you, especially if you're having a piece of fruit instead of a rich dessert. But when you have high triglycerides, you may need to limit yourself to 2-3 pieces of fruit a day. That way, you won't get too much of the natural sugars that are in fruit. If you're having dried fruit, remember that the serving size is much smaller: 4 tablespoons of raisins (1/4 cup), for example. A lot of the sugar you get may come from a glass. Whether you drink sweet iced tea, regular soda, fruit juice, or a syrupy coffee drink, you may be getting more sweetness than your body can handle. It may turn some of that sugar into triglycerides. So when you're cutting back on sugar, remember to include your drinks in that, too. IMAGES PROVIDED BY: (1) VankaD / iStock / 360 (2) Azurita / iStock / 360 (3) GANCINO / iStock / 360 (4) Eachat / iStock / 360 (5) macroart / iStock / 360 (6) AmalliaEka / iStock / 360 (7) moggara12 / iStock / 360 (8) NikiLitov / iStock / 360 (9) Robyn Mackenzie / iStock / 360 (10) Rungjarat / iStock / 360 (11) Shaiith / iStock / 360 (12) Ingram Publishing *ALL THINKSTOCK* SOURCES: Stanford Hospital: "How to Lower High Triglyceri...

Ask the doctor Q. I just got the results of my lipid profile. My cholesterol is high, but so are my triglycerides. What exactly are triglycerides, and how are they different from cholesterol? A. Triglycerides are the most common form of fat in the bloodstream. They consist of three fatty acid chains linked by a molecule called glycerol. When you eat food, enzymes in your gut break down fats into their component fatty acids, which are then reassembled to create triglyceride particles. These fatty particles can't move freely through the watery bloodstream. So they combine with cholesterol and protein to form lipoproteins. Your lipid profile lists two of these lipoproteins: low-density lipoprotein (better known as LDL cholesterol) and high-density lipoprotein (also called HDL cholesterol). But there are actually several other types of lipoproteins, including some that contain mainly triglycerides. Triglycerides can provide energy to fuel your body, while the extras are deposited in fat tissue. After a very heavy, fatty meal, your bloodstream may contain so many triglyceride particles that a blood sample may have a milky tint. But within a few hours, they're mostly cleared out. When you need energy between meals, hormones release the stored triglycerides into the bloodstream. Your liver also converts carbohydrates into triglycerides. When you eat extra calories — especially from carbohydrate-rich foods such as sweets and white bread — your liver churns out extra triglycerides....

Ask the doctor Q. I've had high triglyceride levels (250 to 280 mg/dL) for years. Because I take a statin to lower my cholesterol, I thought I didn't need to worry. Is that true? I'm trying to follow a healthy diet, but is there anything else I should do to lower my triglycerides? A. Triglycerides, the most common type of fat in the body, come from fat in foods. But extra calories your body doesn't use — such as those from sugar and alcohol — are also transformed into triglycerides. That's why a healthy diet that limits sugar and refined carbohydrates (such as white bread and white rice) can help lower triglyceride levels. Minimizing alcohol also helps, as does exercising and maintaining a healthy weight. While it's clear that high LDL (bad) cholesterol increases the risk of a heart attack, there's increasing evidence that triglycerides are important too, even if your LDL is under control. Your triglyceride levels fall into the high range, which is defined as 200 to 499 mg/dL. (A normal level is 149 or lower; 150 to 199 is borderline high; and a value of 500 and higher is considered very high and should be treated with medications to prevent inflammation of the pancreas, called pancreatitis.) Anyone with a triglyceride level of 150 to 499 should be checked and treated for any underlying health problems that might be to blame, including type 2 diabetes, obesity, a low thyroid level (hypothyroidism), and liver or kidney disease. But if your triglycerides remain high after ad...