Triglycerides are the most common type of lipid found in the human body. They occur when the body contains excess calories. Once the body converts calories into triglycerides, it stores the lipid in fat cells, which causes them to swell. The body then draws the triglycerides from fat cells between meals for extra energy. Triglycerides differ from cholesterol, which the body does not use for energy. A high level of blood triglycerides is called hypertriglyceridemia.
Causes
The causes of high blood triglycerides vary, but they usually trace to unhealthy habits. These include overeating, fatty diets, inactivity, alcohol abuse and smoking. Alternately, there are a myriad of other factors that can lead to hypertriglyceridemia. For example, genetic disorders can cause high triglycerides, including hyperlipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, dybetalipoproteinemia and hypertriglyceridemia, which are inherent risks for high blood lipids, cholesterol, proteins and lipids and triglycerides, respectively. Diseases that cause hypertriglyceridemia include Cushing syndrom, kidney disease, hypothyroidism, diabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome. Hormonal medications like birth control and some diuretics can also elevate blood triglycerides. The risk for hypertriglyceridemia increases with age.
Treatment
Like its causes, treatment for hypertriglyceridemia usually includes healthy habits. Examples are regular exercise, a healthy diet, moderate overall consumption, weight loss, smoking cessation, moderate alcohol consumption and periodic visits to your doctor for checkups. A healthy diet contains foods that are low in simple sugars, fats, cholesterols and sodium, but high in nutrients. Fiber and vitamin B-3, or niacin, can also lower blood triglycerides.
Indications and Complications
Hypertriglyceridemia may be undetectable without tests before the onset of serious complications. Normal results will indicate a blood saturation of 150 mg per deciliter or less. Borderline high triglycerides falls between 150 and 199 mg per deciliter, while hypertriglyceridemia is any saturation above 200 mg per deciliter. The most serious effect of hypertriglyceridemia is atherosclerosis, which causes arterial walls to thicken and harden. This can lead to heart disease, stroke and heart attack. Hypertriglyceridemia can also lead to pancreatitis, which is pancreas inflammation. The pancreas is responsible for digestive enzymes, insulin and glucagon production. Symptoms of pancreatitis include chills, fever, fatty stools, sweating, weakness, abdominal pain, fever, mild jaundice, nausea, weight loss and vomiting.
Lipid Disorder
Hypertriglyceridemia may be the result of a lipid disorder. Similar in nature, a lipid disorder is high overall lipids, which include both triglycerides and cholesterol. Although the causes and basic treatments for lipid disorders are essentially the same as those for hypertriglyceridemia, it can result in even more serious complications, including coronary artery disease and cardiac arrest. However, a doctor may prescribe medication to help, particularly in extreme cases. Such medications include statins like simvastatin, torvastatin, lovastatin, rosuvastatin and pravastatin, which help lower cholesterol levels in particular.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Triglycerides -- Why Do They Matter?
- Medline Plus: High Blood Cholesterol and Triglycerides
- Medline Plus: Pancreatitis
- "Echocardiography in Acute Coronary Syndrome: Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention"; Eyal Herzog and Farooq Chaudhry; 2009
