The Sneakiest Heart Risk

Yes, cholesterol is important, but there’s another fat-triglycerides-you need to keep tabs on. Here’s how to get it under control.

Illustration by Andrew Bannecker

As you’re reviewed your blood test results, you may have noticed a number creeping up the past few years even if your cholesterol has been going down: your triglyceride level. Chances are, though, you haven’t paid much attention to it because your doctor doesn’t seem concerned of physicians fail to explain, and you don’t really know that constitutes an unhealthy level. Result: you may be harboring a hidden risk factor for heart disease.

   Triglycerides are the most common type of fat in your body. Any calories that aren’t immediately burned after eating whether from fats, proteins, or carbohydrates are converted into this fat and stored as an energy reserve, triglycerides can be an independent and compounding cause of heart disease. They circulate in the blood and can stick to artery walls and contribute to plaque. In other words, even if your cholesterol numbers are normal, you may still be in danger of developing cardiovascular disease if your triglycerides are high. What’s more, Staten drugs aren’t very effective at lowering them.

The heartening news-triglycerides are relatively easy to control, even without drugs. Just follow this plan:

Know-and understand-your numbers. Ask your doctor about the significance of your triglyceride count. Women are particularly vulnerable: with every incremental increases in triglycerides beyond a safe range, their risk of developing a heart disease increases nearly 3 times faster than that of men with similar blood profiles. That risk rises even more if you have low levels of HDL cholesterol.

Get a no fasting blood test.

Most blood samples are drawn after an 8-to 12-hour fast. But because triglycerides are so sensitive to what we ingest, waiting that long allows level to drop into the normal range. I prefer to test patient’s blood when they haven’t made any dietary changes. This provides a more accurate risk profile for triglycerides.

Fight back with diet and exercise first.

I call triglycerides and HDL cholesterol the “lifestyle lipids” because they are so responsive to everyday health habits. I‘ve seen patient’s triglyceride levels fall from 400 to less than 100 mg/dl my goal for all my patients, and their HDL levels rise significantly, simply by eating fewer starchy and sugary carbohydrates, avoiding saturated and trans fats, exercising more often and intensely, and losing weight.

Don’t overindulge.

If you’re prone to high triglycerides, that’s a sign your body isn’t very efficient at clearing fat from your blood. So limit high-fat meals, and don’t drink too much alcohol, which slows down fat metabolism.

Try these secret weapons.

Omega-3 fatty acids-found in salmon and sardines or a fish-oil supplement-are natural and effective triglyceride fighter. Cinnamon is’ too; sprinkle it on appropriate foods. If all else fails, a class of drugs called fib rates, as well as prescription niacin, can bring triglycerides down.
ARTHUR AGATSTON, MD, an associate professor of medicine at the university of Miami miller school of medicine, is the author of the south beach diet supercharged: faster weight loss and better health for life. he maintains a cardiology practice and research foundation in Miami beach,  FL.