Dr. Donnica Moore Explains   TRIGLYCERIDES

5 things You Should Know About the 'Forgotten' Fat

     You probably know that cholesterol is a type of fat found in the bloodstream, and that having very high levels of the stuff is bad for your heart.  You may also be aware that there are two kinds of cholesterol: HDL (good) cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol.

     But there's another type of fat that circulates in blood that many of us don't know about: triglycerides.  "We call it the forgotten fat because many women don't know what it is or that they need to have it tested."

     Like elevated cholesterol, elevated triglycerides are closelylinked to an increased rist of cardiovascular disease, indlucing heart ataack, stroke, coronary artery disease, and atherosclerosis.  It is important to note that some medicines used to lower cholesterol do not work as effectively n triglycerides.

1. You can have high triglycerides even if your total cholesterol level is normal.   That's why it's important to ask your doctor to test for triglycerides (fasting plasma lipids)---and that you understand the test results.
2. High triglycerides are more dangerous for women than for men.  If a woman's trycliceride level increases by 88 points, it boosts her heart disease risk by 37%.  If a man's level increases the same amoount, it boosts his rist by just 14%.
3. You can be slim and still have  high triglycerides (and cholesterol) levels).  Being slim is not a guarantee of having healthy blood lipid levels.  However, having a larger waistline--being shaped more like an apple than a pear--is associated with having high triglycerides levels and a higher-than-average risk of heart disease.
4. High triglycerides can damage more than just your heart.  This can also lead to liver damage and pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreatid). Hypothyroidism (to little thyroid hormone) can lead to  high triglycerides.  There may be a couple of reasons for this.  First, all of these disorders are related to a reduction in blood supply to those organd.  Second, in people with high triglycerides, fat gets deposited in the internal organs, including the liver, pancreas, thyroid gland, and heart.
5. There's plenty you can do tolower your triglycerides.  the things you can do to make your good HDL cholesterol go up are the same things you can do to make your triglycerides and bad LDL cholesterol go down.  Elevated triglyceride levels should be treated early and aggressively, starting with diet, exercise, and any other therapy your doctor may recommend. You don't have to tet down to the weight you were in high school; in people who are significantly overweight, loosing just 10 pounds can bring doen triglyceride and cholesterol levels significantly.  To get rid of tht crucial 10 lb., avoid junk food, watch portions sizwes, and make sure you're getting adequate calcium and omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil).  Since it's difficult to get adequate amounts of these nutrients in food, ask your doctor whether you should consider supplements.  Also, limit alcohol consumption as this has been known to elevate triglycerides.