The most prevalent type of fat in the body is triglycerides. This kind of fat is stored by your body and used as an energy source between meals. Significant triglyceride levels in the blood may indicate a high risk of developing certain illnesses.
What are high triglycerides?
One type of blood lipid, along with cholesterol, is triglyceride. It is produced by mixing one molecule of glycerol with three molecules of fatty acids and is found in both plants and mammals. Although the body can also create it through the liver, triglycerides, which are made of fats and carbs, are acquired more frequently from diet. Triglycerides are mostly used to store additional energy, or calories. The body's cells require calories in order to function normally.
Your health may be at risk if you have hypertriglyceridemia or high triglycerides. Sadly, elevated triglycerides rarely cause symptoms, much like high cholesterol. Regular blood tests for lipids are essential to monitor cholesterol levels.
Triglycerides, however, have long been associated with a number of diseases, such as metabolic syndrome and heart disease. The precise issue is hypertriglyceridemia, a condition marked by increased triglyceride levels. Cholesterol and triglycerides should be kept to a minimum because the body does not require a lot of blood lipid to operate effectively. In actuality, the typical range does not exceed 150 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter).
What are the risks and causes that lead to high triglyceride levels?
Your triglyceride levels may be elevated as a result of things like:
- Having high cholesterol in the family
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Having too much sweets and simple carbohydrates
- Having obesity or being overweight
- Having untreated diabetes
- Experiencing liver or renal disease
- Elevated blood pressure
- Using specific drugs, such as beta-blockers, corticosteroids, diuretics, or hormones, or having menopause
- A thyroid condition
What are the symptoms of high triglycerides level?
Unless the issue is inherited, a raised triglyceride level generally doesn't cause any symptoms, though fatty deposits may become apparent on the skin's surface. Additionally, there are non-condition-specific symptoms like nausea, stomach discomfort, fever, and, in the majority of instances, acute pancreatitis.
Different triglyceride levels range:
Normal Triglycerides level: less than 150 mg/dL
Borderline high: 150 to 199 mg/dL
High: 200 to 499 mg/dL
What test needs to be done?
A doctor can identify a high triglyceride level by doing a number of triglyceride tests, including:
For people with hereditary hypertriglyceridemia, APOE genotyping is recommended.
Lipid profile analysis to evaluate the various types of fats in the blood
Fasting blood sugar to assess the body's capacity to produce blood glucose
Test for triglycerides to determine their concentration
Simply taking a blood sample from a vein will allow for the performance of any of these tests. In some exams, fasting may be required. Triglycerides 200 and higher are already regarded as excessive.
How to treat triglycerides?
To lower high triglyceride levels, a physician could advise prescription drugs. High triglycerides treatment consist of:
- Cholesterol absorption inhibitors
- Statins, such as gemfibrozil (Lopid) and fenofibrate (Tricor, Fenoglide)
- Fibrates, such as rosuvastatin calcium (Crestor) and atorvastatin calcium (Lipitor)
- PCSK9 nicotinic acid inhibitors
The best strategy to reduce triglycerides is to adopt modifications to your way of living, like:
- Restricting calorie intake
- Increasing one's level of exercise (e.g., walking for at least 30 minutes a day)
- Substituting polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats for conventional fats
- Avoiding or drastically reducing alcohol and tobacco use
- Maintaining a healthy diet minimal in sugar, fat, and carbs
- Increasing consumption of omega-3 fatty acids
The doctor can suggest taking drugs in addition to making lifestyle modifications if the triglyceride level is already quite high (more than 500 mg/dL). These medications, known as statins, can lower the risk of heart disease and stroke by up to 35%. These drugs work just as well in regulating triglyceride levels as they do in lowering bad cholesterol.
Your chance of developing pancreatitis and heart disease is increased by high triglyceride levels. Triglyceride levels that are too high can result from consuming too many calories. The good news is that lowering your triglyceride levels is something you can do. Your doctor may make recommendations for heart-healthy lifestyle modifications. Medication assistance may also be necessary.
Agilus Diagnostics, a subsidiary of Fortis Healthcare Limited
