Triglycerides are a form of fat in the bloodstream. People with high triglycerides
often have a high total cholesterol, a high LDL (bad) cholesterol and a low HDL
(good) cholesterol level. Many people with heart disease also have high triglyceride
levels. People with diabetes or who are obese are also likely to have high triglycerides.
Diet, alcohol intake and exercise levels have an effect on triglyceride levels.
Triglycerides are a major source of energy and the most common type of fat in your
body. When you eat, your body uses the calories it needs for quick energy. Any extra
calories are turned into triglycerides and stored in fat cells to be used later. The
excess calories are stored as fat regardless of what kind of food you eat-fat,
carbohydrate, or protein. If you regularly eat more calories than you burn, you
may have high triglycerides.
Triglycerides are measured as part of a blood test that measures your cholesterol.
Normal triglyceride levels are below 150. Levels above 200 are high. Like cholesterol,
triglycerides are common types of fats (lipids) that are essential for good health when
present in normal amounts. They account for about 95 percent of the body's fatty tissue.
High triglyceride levels are associated
with known risk factors for heart disease, such as low levels of HDL ("good")
cholesterol, high levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol and obesity. Triglycerides
may also contribute to a type of thickening of artery walls, a physical change
believed to be a predictor of hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis).
Triglyceride tests involve a blood test following a period of no food or alcohol.
Treatment and prevention may include changes to diet, reducing alcohol intake and
increasing exercise. Some people will not respond to this and have drugs prescribed.
Why are high levels of triglycerides a risk factor?
The reason why high levels of triglycerides increase the risk of cardiovascular
disease is not completely understood. The most recent evidence suggests the
remnants left from the breakdown of triglyceride rich lipoproteins in the blood
may speed up plaque build up on arteries (atherogenesis). It seems these particles
floating in the blood are particularly dangerous to patients with high levels of
triglycerides and cholesterol.
High triglyceride levels increase the risk of thrombosis - clotting, which can lead
to myocardial infarction - heart attack.
A combination of diet and high triglyceride levels can be a risk factor. A fatty meal
leaves remnant lipoproteins in the blood, and those with high levels of triglycerides
do not clear these fragments as quick as other people. This delay has been shown to
increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
High triglyceride levels commonly occur in younger people suffering inherited elevated
cholesterol levels. This inherited disorder results in overproduction of cholesterol and
triglycerides by the body. Thus, early testing for triglycerides may show up this
condition and allow early treatment to reduce the risk of CHD.
