Keeping Triglyceride Levels in Check

Triglycerides are usually measured in the same blood test that determines cholesterol. But, according to a recent survey by the National Lipid Association (NLA), fewer than four in 10 Americans were aware of this fact. Indeed, cholesterol gets most of the publicity. But, like harmful low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, excessive triglycerides in your blood can clog your arteries, boosting the risk for heart disease and stroke, particularly in women.

In fact, most of the fat we eat is in the form of triglycerides. And triglycerides also form the biggest share of body fat. Right after a meal, these fats appear in your blood. Later they’re stored in fatty tissue, to be released when you need energy. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommends that triglyceride levels be below 150 mg/dL.

As with high cholesterol, you can have elevated triglycerides without any symptoms. And high triglycerides and high cholesterol usually coincide. Being overweight and having a waist of at least 35 inches also tend to boost a woman’s triglyceride levels.

In contrast, a healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise and a balanced diet, can help keep triglycerides in check. For example, a recent study in Diabetes Care revealed that eating less meat and more low-fat dairy products, vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain cereals helped a group of overweight people with metabolic syndrome lose weight and lower their triglycerides.

If you have diabetes, be sure to keep your blood sugar controlled because high blood sugar elevates triglyceride levels. Hormone replacement therapy also can raise triglycerides. If you have a high triglyceride level, the same medication used to lower high cholesterol can bring it down.