Keeping triglyceride levels under control is crucial for reducing the risk of chronic cardiovascular disease. What causes high triglycerides? Discover them here.
When we go to the doctor for a routine check-up, he asks us to take tests to determine various laboratory parameters. Among them is the level of triglycerides, almost always supported by the levels of bad and good cholesterol.
These data are essential for cardiovascular health and to assess adherence or not to a specific diet. So much so that nutritionists can use it to assess the lipid intake of the last 10 days.
Triglycerides are lipids
By measuring the level of triglycerides, we obtain the value of a part of the lipids which circulate in the human blood. There are also fats in the tissues, but these cannot be measured with the usual blood test.
The body uses lipids to build cell membranes and store energy. From cholesterol and triglycerides, the body is able to fuel internal metabolic processes, which it resorts to when requesting kilocalories.
The storage site consists of cells called adipocytes. There are fat droplets inside which act as a deposit. If we start a series of training sessions, for example, or go through situations of extreme cold, this reserve will be used.
Normal triglyceride values
There are certain parameters that doctors use to find out if triglycerides are within normal values in the blood. Each lab manages its own reagents and this changes the normal ranges, although there are numbers that are always more or less the same.
In the case of triglycerides, levels are considered normal when they do not exceed 150 milligrams per deciliter of blood. Levels between 150 and 199, while not considered high, raise red flags as they may indicate a possible eating disorder.
A rate above 200 milligrams per deciliter is abnormal, and it is therefore necessary to make changes in habits and medication. A level above 500 milligrams per deciliter indicates a particular – rare – condition of severe hypertriglyceridemia, usually associated with genetic mutations.
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Why can triglyceride levels be high?
Having high triglycerides is worrying. Most people with this problem can manage it through diet, if they follow strict guidelines and accompany it with physical exercise.
Meals have a decisive influence on lipid levels. The worst allies of elevation are saturated fatty acids and trans fats. The former are found in dairy products, chocolate, chicken meat and egg yolk.
These appear in processed products that have undergone the hydrogenation technique, such as crackers, cakes, or candies.
There are diseases whose symptom is an increase in these lipids. The best known are the following:
- Diabetes : it’s a metabolic disorder that doesn’t just affect blood sugar. Proteins and lipids also suffer from the effects of the lack of insulin or its weak action. The level of triglycerides is constantly high in diabetics.
- Hypothyroidism : the lack of action of thyroid hormones affects cell metabolism. This means that lipids cannot be used as they should for human bodily functions. Triglycerides accumulate with the increase in fatty tissue.
- Renal failure : the kidney performs endocrine tasks, in addition to making and concentrating urine to purify the blood. In kidney failure, the organ is unable to carry out its daily tasks and efficiently produce the substances involved in the homeostasis of the internal environment. All fats increase their blood concentration in this disorder.
Other causes
Physical inactivity, on the other hand, is a cardiovascular risk factor, partly due to its metabolic impact on lipids. Those who do not exercise regularly have high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, with less blood circulation, so the possibility of suffering from arteriosclerosis is also greater.
Finally, there are toxic habits associated with high triglyceride levels. Smoking and consuming alcohol in an addictive way interrupts the processes of accumulation and use of lipids. The liver is weakened by the toxicity of tobacco and alcohol.
Is it possible to have low triglycerides?
There is also the opposite condition, which is low triglycerides. A level of less than 35 milligrams of fat per deciliter is considered low.
The causes are fewer. The four most common causes are:
- Diet : a diet of saturated and trans fats will increase triglycerides, but there are also diets that cause a decrease in these elements. Diets that go excessively without all fat end up being counterproductive.
- Malabsorption syndrome: when the intestine is not able to take up all the nutrients from the food we eat, we are faced with malabsorption syndrome. The causes are very varied, but the end result is a deficit of the necessary substances. Lipids, in particular, are evacuated with the faeces.
- Hyperthyroidism: a high concentration of thyroid hormones in the blood forces the cellular metabolism, which causes the consumption of a large part of the lipid energy reserves. Adipocytes do not store triglycerides and do not release them.
- Malnutrition: in cases of severe malnutrition, due to a lack of intake or to pathologies leading to weight loss, patients register hypoglycemia, hypoproteinemia and hypolipidemia.
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The level of triglycerides can be controlled
Regular blood tests are important. This makes it possible to detect problems in time. Controlling triglycerides helps reduce cardiovascular risk.
Whether the triglyceride level is high or low, it is advisable to follow a multidisciplinary approach with medication, diet and exercise. A clinician and nutritionist can help regulate the values.
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