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Triglycerides and Heart Attacks
Having high blood levels of triglycerides increases your risk for heart attacks and diabetes.
When you take in more calories than you body needs, the extra calories are converted to
triglycerides. It doesn't matter whether the extra calories come from carbohydrates, fats or proteins.
When your blood sugar level rises too high, your pancreas releases huge amounts of insulin that also
raises blood triglyceride levels. The amount of insulin in your bloodstream is determined by how
high blood sugar levels rise after eating. Insulin also lowers blood levels of the good HDL cholesterol
that helps prevent heart attacks.
Those with high blood levels of triglycerides usually store most of their fat in their bellies rather than their hips and have low blood levels of the good HDL cholesterol that prevents heart attacks.
If your triglyceride level is above the normal 150, you eat too
much food or have high blood insulin levels that can cause heart attacks. You can reduce blood
triglyceride level by eating less food and avoiding foods that cause the highest rise in blood sugar,
such as bakery products, pasta, and foods with added sugar. Omega-3 fatty acids found in seafood and seeds also lower triglycerides (5).
1) J Jeppesen, HO Hein, P Suadicani, F Gyntelberg. Triglyceride concentration and ischemic heart disease: An eight-year follow-up in the Copenhagen Male Study.Circulation 97: 11 (MAR 24 1998):1029-1036.
2) M Miller.The epidemiology of triglyceride as a coronary artery disease risk factor.Clinical Cardiology, 1999, Vol 22, Iss 6, Suppl. 2, pp II1-II6.
3) SH Gianturco, WA Bradley.Pathophysiology of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in atherothrombosis: Cellular aspects.Clinical Cardiology, 1999, Vol 22, Iss 6, Suppl. 2, pp II7-II14.
4)A Georgopoulos.Postprandial triglyceride metabolism in diabetes mellitus.Clinical Cardiology, 1999, Vol 22, Iss 6, Suppl. 2, pp II28-II33.
5)WS Harris.Nonpharmacologic treatment of hypertriglyceridemia: Focus on fish oils.Clinical Cardiology, 1999, Vol 22, Iss 6, Suppl. 2, pp II40-II43.
6)L Stavenow, T Kjellstrom. Influence of serum triglyceride levels on the risk for myocardial infarction in 12510 middle
aged males: interaction with serum cholesterol. Atherosclerosis, 1999, Vol 147, Iss 2, pp 243-247.
Checked 2/7/08