What to Know About High Triglycerides

Discussions about heart health often center around blood pressure and cholesterol, with factors like poor sleep, smoking, family history of heart disease, and chronic stress thrown in. However, there’s one variable that doesn’t get covered as often, even though it can be an important indicator of cardiovascular risk: triglycerides. “We don’t really talk about triglycerides very much, especially compared to cholesterol, but they’re actually an essential part of understanding heart health,” says Dr. Adriana Quinones-Camacho, a cardiologist at NYU Langone Health in New York. “For someone with a condition that raises their heart risks, such as diabetes, knowing if triglycerides are elevated can be a critical part of maintaining their health overall.” [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Whether you have diabetes or another potentially chronic medical issue, or are simply looking for a way to track any changes in your health status, it’s worth taking a deeper dive into what triglycerides are—and what can happen when you have too many. What are triglycerides? Triglycerides are a type of fat (or lipid) naturally made in your liver; when you eat, its production increases. Excess calories are converted into triglycerides and stored in fat cells in the bloodstream, so they can be used for energy boosts and temperature regulation when needed. This process differs from another well-known lipid, cholesterol—which bu...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized healthscienceclimate heart health Source Type: news