The National Cholesterol Education Program, as endorsed by the American Heart Association, recommends that all adults, starting at age 20, have their cholesterol test every five years. A cholesterol test, also called a fasting lipoprotein profile, is performed after nine to 12 hours of fasting. A fasting lipoprotein profile will provide you with measurements of your total cholesterol level, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level and triglyceride level.
Triglycerides
Triglycerides are a type of fat, lipid, found in your blood plasma and fat tissues. The majority of the fats you consume are in triglyceride form, including butter, oils and margarine. Your body also creates triglycerides from excess consumed calories that you do not require right away for energy, and from alcohol and sugar. Triglycerides are stored in your fat cells until your body needs energy between meals, at which point, hormones release them from the fat cells.
Triglyceride Levels
Your triglyceride levels are measured in milligrams per deciliter of blood. Your triglyceride levels will be high after a meal, which is why you need to fast before your blood test. Time of day, recent exercise, alcohol, menstrual cycle and diet also will affect your triglyceride level. The safe, or normal, triglyceride level is below 150 mg/dL. A triglyceride level between 150 to 199 mg/dL is considered borderline high. A triglyceride level between 200 to 499 mg/dL is considered high. Any triglyceride level above 500 mg/dL is considered very high.
High Triglyceride Risks
Hypertriglyceridemia is the condition where you have excess triglycerides in your blood plasma. High triglycerides are a concern because excess triglycerides contribute to hardening of your arteries, or thickening of your artery walls, atherosclerosis, though how this occurs is unknown. These effects on your arteries increase your risk of suffering from heart attack, heart disease and stroke. High triglyceride levels are commonly a sign of other health issues, which also increase your risk of heart disease and stroke, including metabolic syndrome, obesity, liver or kidney disease, poorly controlled diabetes, low thyroid hormones, and rare genetic conditions, which affect your body converting fat to energy.
Lowering Triglycerides
If you are overweight, losing 5 to 10 lbs. can lower your triglyceride level, and because excess calories are stored as triglycerides, cutting back on calories, no matter your weight, can help. Exercise also lowers your triglycerides, so aim for 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week. Limit your consumption of alcohol as well as cholesterol, to below 300 mg a day, and eliminate trans fats. Switch to whole grains, that have 2 g of fiber or more per serving, while limiting refined foods and foods that contain sugar, such as white flour and candy. Limit saturated fat, found in meats and animal products, replacing it with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, found in plant oils, such as olive oil, and omega-3 fatty acids found in fish such as salmon and albacore tuna.
References
- American Heart Association; What Your Cholesterol Levels Mean; April 2011
- MedlinePlus; Cholesterol Test; June 2010
- MedlinePlus: Triglycerides
- MayoClinic.com; Triglycerides: Why They Matter; June 2010
- Cleavland Clinic: How Foods Affect Triglycerides
- American Heart Association; Triglycerides; May 2010
