About Triglycerides

Triglycerides are the chemical form of fat that is found in the blood. They are stored in the fat cells in the body and come from the extra calories from the food that we eat. It doesn't matter what food the calories come from—if you eat more calories than you need on a regular basis, you will probably develop high triglycerides. Heavy alcohol intake increases triglycerides, and some people have high triglycerides as a result of other diseases such as diabetes, kidney disease, and hypothyroidism (low thyroid levels). Some medicines such as steroids, beta blockers, estrogen, tamoxifen, and birth control pills, may also cause triglycerides to be high.

There is no clear evidence that high triglycerides contribute to heart disease directly, but most people with high triglycerides also have high cholesterol. High triglycerides are also a part of the metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is the combination of high blood pressure, high blood sugar, large waist size, low good cholesterol (HDL) and high triglycerides, which increases your risk of heart attack and developing diabetes.

There are rarely symptoms related to high triglycerides and you will need a blood test in order to find out if you have them. In some hereditary disorders, triglycerides may cause fatty deposits just under the skin. Rarely, high triglycerides can cause inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis).

There are several things you can do to lower your triglycerides such as eat less, exercise actively for at least 30 minutes most days of the week, decrease your intake of fats (saturated, trans fat) and alcohol, decrease your cholesterol intake (read labels), and eat fish (rich in Omega-3 fatty acids) rather than meat.

If these interventions do not help, you may need medication such as nicotinic acids (niacin) and/or fibrates. If you have high cholesterol, you may be prescribed a "statin." It is important to remember that, even if you take medications for your triglycerides, you should still follow the advice such as diet and exercise for lowering your triglycerides.