A Third Of Americans Have High Triglyceride Levels
So, why does it matter if a person has high triglyceride levels?
After keeping an eye on your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, there's another key number to you should also know about - triglycerides.
These fatty particles in your blood are very important to your heart health, but they don't get all the attention cholesterol does.
According to a report by the Centers for Disease Control that's just been published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, it was discoverd hat approximately a third of US adults have triglyceride levels that are considered either borderline or too high.
If you've had an assessment you have probably been told that triglycerides at levels of 150 to 199 milligrams per deciliter are borderline high; over 200 milligrams per deciliter are considered as too high.
Note: Cholesterol levels are measured in milligrams (mg) of cholesterol per deciliter (dL) of blood in the U.S. and some other countries, while Canada and most of Europe measures cholesterol in millimoles per liter of blood.
It's been found that very high triglyceride levels can create inflammation of the pancreas.
Men are more likely than women, and Caucasians at greater risk than African Americans or Mexican Americans to have high triglycerides.
And if you have other risks of heart disease you really should take this risks seriously and do something about them.
This is specifically a concern if your waist measurement is over 40 inches (101.6 centimeters) if you're a man, and more that than 35 inches (88.9 centimeters) if you're a woman - this body shape makes you more likely to develop heart disease problems.
The body stores extra calories as triglycerides and keeps them stored in your fat cells.If you're overweight, too inactive, drink too much or eating lots of saturated fat you likely have higher triglyceride levels.
Hormones release the triglycerides to give you energy between meals, and if you're eating more calories than you burn you'll probably have high triglycerides.
Cholesterol testing involves a simple blood test, known as a lipid panel, or lipid profile to check your cholesterol levels - the total number, as well as LDL and HDL cholesterol and these often sadly overlooked triglyceride levels.
The best way to fight back against high triglycerides is to lose the extra weight - which only comes from eating right and being more active.
Swap healthy fats for unhealthy ones (like saturated or trans fats), especially if your triglycerides are between 155 and 500 milligrams per deciliter.
You'll also want to increase the amount of soluble fiber you eat.
If lifestyle changes do not have enough of an effect on the levels, prescription medications like statins, fibrates, niacin and fish oil that may also be a useful tool.
High cholesterol has no symptoms, but genetics (close family members with high cholesterol or heart disease) might make you more predisposed to it.
If this is you, you'll probably want to get a cholesterol test by age 20 to get a baseline figure (or as early as you can), and follow-ups every five years afterward.
Catching the problem early gives you the best chance to treat conditions right off the bat and retain your health.
Other research linking high triglycerides to cardiovascular disease shows that high triglyceride levels are as dangerous as high cholesterol to your heart health.
If your number is higher than it should be, now is the time to make the changes to bring high triglyceride levels down.
Next - just head on over to the Daily Health Bulletin for more information on the effects of high triglyceride levels, plus for a limited time get 5 free fantastic health reports. Click here for more details on this causes of high triglycerides.