What Are Triglycerides? – HealthyWomen

How are triglycerides measured?

Triglycerides are measured with a easy blood take a look at, typically carried out as a part of a ldl cholesterol take a look at often known as a lipid panel. The vary of triglycerides is:

• Regular — Lower than 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), or lower than 1.7 millimoles per liter (mmol/L)
• Borderline excessive — 150 to 199 mg/dL (1.8 to 2.2 mmol/L)
• Excessive — 200 to 499 mg/dL (2.3 to five.6 mmol/L)
• Very excessive — 500 mg/dL or above (5.7 mmol/L or above)

Folks with excessive triglycerides (above 200 mg/dL) are 25% extra prone to die from heart problems than somebody with regular ranges.

What causes excessive triglycerides?

Potential causes of excessive triglycerides embody:

• Weight loss program excessive in sugar, refined carbohydrates and saturated fats
• Untreated diabetes
• Liver illness
• Kidney illness
• Alcohol use
• Smoking
• BMI (physique mass index) over 25
• Thyroid illness
• Lack of bodily exercise

The excellent news? A few of these potential triggers are way of life decisions, that means you could possibly decrease your triglycerides by altering your habits.

Why ought to ladies care about triglycerides?

Heart problems is the primary killer of girls in the USA, inflicting 1 in 3 deaths yearly. Since excessive triglycerides might improve heart problems danger, it’s necessary that ladies know their triglyceride ranges so as to handle their cardiovascular dangers.

It’s additionally necessary to maintain your triglyceride ranges beneath management as a result of extraordinarily excessive triglycerides (500 mg/dL or above) can improve the chance of pancreatitis (irritation of the pancreas), which might result in pancreatic most cancers, kidney failure and probably dying.

Threat components particular to ladies that will improve triglycerides embody:

• Taking contraception capsules that include estrogen or hormone alternative remedy
• Being postmenopausal
• Having polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
• Being pregnant (particularly within the third trimester)

Ethnicity may be a “risk-enhancing issue” in relation to heart problems, notably for ethnicities who’ve an elevated danger for larger triglyceride ranges, like Asian People. This elevated danger for some ethnicities is why the American Faculty of Cardiology, the American Coronary heart Affiliation and 10 different well being organizations now embody a piece of their ldl cholesterol tips that outlines how race and particular ethnic traits might affect an individual’s danger of growing cardiovascular illnesses.

The hope is that contemplating risk-enhancing components like ethnicity might permit healthcare suppliers to get a deeper understanding of their sufferers’ wants in relation to managing ldl cholesterol and total coronary heart well being.

Whether or not you fall right into a higher-risk class or not, it’s a good suggestion to speak to your healthcare supplier about having your triglycerides checked.

The American Coronary heart Affiliation recommends all adults over age 20 have their ldl cholesterol (together with triglycerides) checked each 4 to 6 years (or extra typically, relying on danger components).

Medication for triglycerides

If way of life modifications alone aren’t sufficient to maintain your triglycerides in test, your healthcare supplier might counsel treatment.

Prescription drugs embody:

• Statins, which scale back the quantity of ldl cholesterol produced by your liver however don’t at all times decrease triglycerides. Statins might scale back the chance of coronary heart assault or stroke. However, for individuals with elevated triglycerides, the chance of coronary heart assault or stroke stays excessive.
• Fibrates, which decrease triglycerides whereas growing “good” HDL ldl cholesterol. Fibrates don’t scale back your danger of a coronary heart assault or stroke however could also be useful for lowering your danger of pancreatitis when you have triglyceride ranges of 500 or extra.
• Prescription-strength omega-3 fatty acids, which decrease the quantity of triglycerides in your bloodstream.
  • Prescription-strength omega-3s with EPA and DHA scale back triglycerides, however don’t scale back danger of coronary heart illness or stroke, even when used with statins. They could be useful for lowering danger of pancreatitis.
  • Prescription-strength omega-3s with a purified type of EPA known as IPE scale back triglycerides and medical trials have proven that, when mixed with statins, may considerably scale back the chance of coronary heart illness and stroke in individuals with gentle to average triglyceride ranges.

Omega-3 fatty acids are wholesome fat that may decrease your triglycerides Particular kinds of omega-3 acids embody:

• DHA – present in fish
• EPA – present in fish
• ALA – present in plant

Dietary over-the-counter omega-3 dietary supplements haven’t proven any profit for shielding your coronary heart.