Homepage
|
Lipitor
| About
Cholesterol
|
Cholesterol & the Body
|
Cholesterol & Triglycerides
|
Cholesterol & Dietary Fats
Cholesterol in Children
|
Cholesterol FAQs
|
Understanding Lipids
|
The Lipid Panel Test
|
Web Resources
Fat Types
Cholesterol & Triglycerides
Triglycerides are another kind of fat contained in the body. Triglycerides
are different from cholesterol and are the most common kind of fat in the
body. The relationship between triglycerides and heart disease is not yet
understood; however, high triglycerides appears to impact risk of
developing heart disease. As a result, triglyceride levels are often
tested in conjunction with cholesterol levels.
Research has found that the relationship between triglycerides and heart disease include:
-
many people with heart disease have high triglycerides
-
many people with high triglycerides show no signs of plaque buildup in the arteries
-
high triglyceride levels are often linked with low HDL, or good, cholesterol
Although these findings suggest a
relationship between high triglycerides and heart disease, the exact
relationship is not yet clear.
The relationship is further complicated by the fact that high
triglycerides are often linked with excess body weight, high alcohol
consumption, and poorly controlled diabetes. These factors in and of
themselves increase the risk of developing heart disease and signal that
lifestyle changes are required.
Triglycerides do not stick to the walls of arteries like bad cholesterol
does, but instead cause a thickening of the blood, increasing the chances
of developing blood clots. The increased risk of blood clot increases the
risks of stroke or heart attack.
Decreasing triglycerides
Regardless of the causal relationship between high triglycerides and heart
disease, managing high triglyceride levels is important in decreasing
one's risk of developing heart disease. Lowering triglycerides is very
possible and relatively easy to implement.
Suggestions include:
-
Decrease alcohol consumption
-
Increase physical activity/lose weight
-
Improve management of diabetes
-
Reduce fat intake from all food sources
-
Reduce consumption of high sugar foods, such as chocolate and sweets
Homepage
|
Lipitor
| About
Cholesterol
|
Cholesterol & the Body
|
Cholesterol & Triglycerides
|
Cholesterol & Dietary Fats
Cholesterol in Children
|
Cholesterol FAQs
|
Understanding Lipids
|
The Lipid Panel Test
|
Web Resources