Insulin moves both glucose and triglycerides from your bloodstream into your cells. High triglyceride levels may be one of the first indications that you're insulin resistant and at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Both diabetes and high cholesterol levels are linked to obesity, heart disease and kidney damage. And both diabetes and triglycerides respond well to changes in lifestyle, including exercise and a healthy diet.
What Are Triglycerides?
Triglycerides are a type of fat that circulates in your bloodstream, much like cholesterol. While cholesterol is used to build cell membranes and manufacture hormones, triglycerides are used to store energy for later use. Any calories you eat that you don't burn right away are stored as triglycerides--the most common type of fat in your body. Ideally, your triglyceride level should be below 150 milligrams per deciliter, but triglyceride levels over 250 mg/dL are a risk factor for diabetes. Although high triglycerides don't cause diabetes, they can lead to heart disease, similar to high levels of low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, cholesterol.
Glucose, Triglycerides and Insulin
Diabetes occurs when your pancreas doesn't make enough insulin, or your body doesn't use the insulin properly. Insulin is a hormone that moves glucose from your bloodstream into all of your cells for use as energy. If glucose isn't moved into your cells, you'll have high blood sugar, or hyperglycemia. Chronic hyperglycemia can lead to nerve damage, blindness and kidney failure.
High triglyceride levels happen when insulin doesn't move triglycerides from the bloodstream into your fat cells, for use as energy overnight or between meals. Hypertriglyceridemia, or high triglyceride levels, can lead to atherosclerosis, narrowing of your arteries that can lead to heart attack or stroke.
Triglycerides and Neuropathy
Neuropathy is a type of nerve damage caused by the breakdown of small blood vessels, common to people with chronic hyperglycemia. If blood flow to your nerves is cut off, the nerves die, causing a very painful tingling and numbness. A 2009 study from the University of Michigan has shown that elevated triglyceride levels are the best predictor of a diabetic's risk of developing neuropathy. According to the study, a diabetic with hypertriglyceridemia, "was significantly more likely to experience worsening neuropathy over a period of one year." It also said that aggressively working to lower triglycerides could delay or reduce nerve damage.
Lowering Your Triglycerides
Maintaining a healthy body weight with a combination of diet and exercise will lower your triglyceride levels. Avoid eating saturated and trans fats, as well as dietary cholesterol. Eat unsaturated fats, especially polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, found in cold-water fish, walnuts, flaxseed and purslane. Limit or eliminate alcohol--even small amounts of alcohol will raise your triglyceride levels. If you smoke, stop. Exercise at least 30 minutes most days of the week.
If lifestyle changes aren't enough to drastically reduce your triglyceride levels, your doctor may prescribe medications, such as niacin or fibrates, that will help.
