High triglycerides and how to control them

Thursday, September 05, 2013 by: Yanjun
Tags: high triglycerides, healthy diet, lifestyle

(NaturalNews) More than a third of adults in the United States have high levels of triglycerides, but many do not even know what that means. Triglycerides are a type of fat in the blood that has been linked to a variety of serious conditions, including heart disease, stroke and heart attacks. The American Heart Association has suggested that everyone over twenty years old should have their triglyceride levels checked at annual physicals.

In order to test triglyceride levels, doctors will have patients complete a fasting blood test, then review the results. Normal levels in an average adult should be below 150 mg/dL. Other than normal, there are three more stages of triglyceride levels: borderline, high and very high. Borderline is between 150 and 199 mg/dL, high is between 200 to 499 mg/dL, and very high is anything above 500 mg/dL. Fortunately, high levels can be managed.

How to Control High Triglycerides

Most doctors prefer high triglycerides to be controlled through lifestyle changes. The two major ways to help improve the level of triglycerides in the blood include diet and exercise. It is vitally important to be at a healthy weight in order to keep a healthy level of triglycerides in the blood. Exercise is a great way to lose weight and improve these levels. Most doctors suggest at least 30 minutes of exercise each and every day. When it comes to dieting, drinking less alcohol is helpful, as is choosing to eat healthy fats such as fish.

There are a variety of medications available to help control high triglycerides if lifestyle changes are not enough to adequately make progress. Fibrates, fish oil, niacin, and statins are the four categories of medicine that may be recommended to someone to help control these levels. However, it is important to note that lifestyle changes will still need to take place in order to keep the triglycerides under control. In addition, some medications may even cause high levels, so it is important to talk to a doctor.

The Dangers of Uncontrolled High Triglycerides

High triglyceride levels can have harmful effects on the rest of the body, as they often appear along with other problems, such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. The pancreas, liver and heart are all affected negatively by high levels of triglycerides, which is why it is vitally important to keep these levels controlled.

Luckily, keeping an overall healthy diet and lifestyle is an easy way to lower the levels of triglycerides in your blood. In addition, a healthy lifestyle improves well-being in every other respect as well.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.everydayhealth.com

http://cholesterol.about.com

http://www.lef.org

http://science.naturalnews.com

About the author:
Sofiya has written articles on most health-related topics, including traditional medicine, alternative and naturopathic and natural treatments,health insurance, wellness, medical marijuana, diets and fitness.