People with hypertriglyceridemia have a significantly increased risk of developing serious pathologies that no one wants to face at any age. But the reality is that more and more people are hearing this term from a doctor. What characterizes the disease, how to detect and prevent it in time, not everyone knows. The recipe, in most cases, is simple: you need to take a closer look at your body, lead a he althy lifestyle and regularly take tests for the level of triglyceride concentration in the blood. This article describes hypertriglyceridemia. What it is? More on that later.
Description of disease
High levels of triglycerides in a person's blood is called hypertriglyceridemia and occurs in almost one in 20, especially among older people.
Triglycerides are one of the many types of fats in our body that are responsible for the functioningenergy reserves of the subcutaneous layer. Most of these fats are deposited in the fat layer, but some of them are also present in the blood stream and provide the muscles and the whole body with the necessary energy. The level of triglycerides is unstable and naturally rises after eating, when the body actively converts energy that is not required at the moment into fat reserves. When the consumed fats do not have time to be converted into energy between meals, the level of triglycerides rises markedly and, if kept at high values for a long time, can cause serious harm to he alth.
A blood test for high or low concentration of triglycerides is an important point in the prevention of diseases, as it allows you to identify dangerous processes occurring inside in the early stages of their development.
Is hypertriglyceridemia dangerous? What is it - a disease or a variant of the norm?
Normal triglycerides
Optimal when blood triglycerides do not exceed 150 mg/dL (1.7 mmol/L). A fat level of up to 300 mg / dl is considered elevated and signals possible violations in the organization of the diet and the patient is overweight. The concentration of triglycerides in the blood of more than 300 mg / dl indicates serious and dangerous processes that have already begun in the human body, which must be prevented immediately.
What happens in the blood?
Hypertriglyceridemia increases the concentration of triglycerides in the blood in the form of very low density lipoproteins.
They begin to settle on the walls of the arteries andvessels, deposited on them in fat reserves, gradually narrowing the arteries and thereby increasing the risk of developing cancer and other diseases.
Long-term stay of a large amount of triglycerides in the circulatory system leads to more serious and severe consequences: a heart attack or stroke. The process becomes irreversible, because fats continue to reduce the elasticity and internal volume of the vessel, causing a slowdown and complete suspension of blood flow to tissues and organs.
When should I get tested?
If a person is diagnosed with hypertriglyceridemia, what is it and how does it manifest itself? More on that later.
Checking for high blood fat is necessary when a general blood test has recorded any deviation from the norm. An additional study on the concentration of triglycerides is prescribed both separately and together with a test for total cholesterol or as part of a lipid profile. The latter is recommended to be taken every five years for all adults from twenty years old.
Checking triglyceride levels is especially important for diabetics, as fluctuations in sugar levels greatly increase triglyceride levels. People with other chronic diseases are also at risk. If in the family at least one of the relatives at a young age had high cholesterol or cardiovascular diseases, then the first analysis is recommended to be taken at the age of two to ten years. Also, in case of any doubt or observation of unreasonablechanges in body functions should make an appointment with a specialist as soon as possible.
Influence on the result of the study
So, it is already known that with hypertriglyceridemia in the blood, the concentration of fats in the blood increases.
A lot affects the result of a blood test, so you need to prepare in advance for the test. Triglycerides remain significantly elevated (up to 5-10 times normal) even several hours after eating or drinking, so at least 9-10 hours should have passed since the last meal at the time of testing. Often blood values taken on an empty stomach and at different times of the day can vary, and in some people the level of triglycerides can change by 40% within a month. Therefore, a single test does not always reflect the true picture of the degree of presence of triglycerides, respectively, it is better to additionally retake blood.
Endogenous and exogenous type of disease
Today, a frequent question is: endogenous hypertriglyceridemia - what is it? What is the difference from the exogenous type of disease?
Triglycerides that enter the human body from the outside, namely with food, are called exogenous. Endogenous triglycerides are called when they are formed as a result of metabolism, that is, resynthesis occurs in the body.
Endogenous hypertriglyceridemia is considered to be a significant increase in the concentration of neutral fats in the blood due to internal causes.
Exogenous hypertriglyceridemia is a condition in which triglycerides are elevated due to malnutrition.
Symptoms of disease
The disease proceeds without visible sensations and symptoms, so it is extremely difficult to make such a diagnosis on your own. Concomitant ailments can be a noticeable deterioration in vision, heaviness in the right side, an enlarged liver, irritability and fatigue, frequent headaches, and abdominal pain. On the patient's face and skin, xanthomas, which are intracellular accumulations of fat, often appear. But these symptoms can also be manifestations of completely different diseases.
Hypertriglyceridemia without targeted treatment or deliberate non-compliance with doctor's recommendations is sometimes complicated by other ailments: obesity, hypertension, cerebrovascular accident, diabetes mellitus, cirrhosis and hepatitis, atherosclerosis.
The most dangerous complication is pancreatitis with severe hypertriglyceridemia - inflammation of the pancreas. Its acute form is accompanied by sudden and cutting pains in the abdomen, complete loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and high fever. Pancreatitis often results in pancreatic necrosis, the death of part or all of the pancreas as a result of self-digestion by digestive enzymes.
In order to prevent the situation from worsening, the occurrence of complications and exacerbation of concomitant diseases, it is necessary to regularly visit the clinic, take the necessary tests and carefully monitor the pain and ailments that arise.
Hypertriglyceridemia: Causes
The optimal level of triglycerides in the blood depends on the age and sex of the person. The limits of the norm rise in values every five years, and women's indicators are initially slightly higher than men's. Many factors contribute to high plasma triglyceride levels:
- Age (mainly men over 45 and women over 55).
- Hypertension.
- Having chronic and acute he alth problems (especially diabetes, underactive thyroid, kidney disease).
- Excessive drinking.
- Predominance of fatty foods in the diet, overeating.
- Sedentary lifestyle.
- Smoking.
- Third trimester of pregnancy.
- Using certain medications (birth control pills, estrogen, steroids, diuretics, and more).
- A lot of stressful situations.
- Heredity.
When triglycerides are low
We have considered such a disease as hypertriglyceridemia. The symptoms are described. But what if the triglycerides in the blood are low?
A triglyceride value of less than 50 mg is also considered abnormal, but does not have such severe consequences, unlike a high concentration. A low level of triglycerides signals an unsaturated, unbalanced and malnutrition, excessive intense physical exertion, the presence of untreated diseases and infections. This indicator is reduced by the constant use of vitamin C. To quickly and successfully increase the level of triglycerides, it is necessary to temporarily stop taking ascorbic acid, establish a good diet, reduce physical activity, visit a doctor to detect possible infections that occur in a latent form.
Hypertriglyceridemia treatment
Treatment of the patient is possible with and without medication. The use of drugs is prescribed for severe forms of the disease and begins with minimal doses of one drug. These medications include fibrates, nicotinic acids, prescription cod liver oil, and statins, which work through other substances or organs in the body to block and lower triglyceride levels. In the absence of a positive effect, the dosage is increased or complex treatment is prescribed. It is dangerous to take drugs without consulting a doctor, as ignorance and bias can lead to various kinds of complications or irreversible side effects.
Non-drug treatment involves a set of measures that include diet, therapy for concomitant diseases that increase triglyceride levels in the blood, well-defined physical activity and constant monitoring of weight gain and loss. The entire responsibility for the fight against fat falls entirely on the patient.
Correct Diet
The hypertriglyceridemia diet provides approximately 1,400 calories per day and allows the patient to lose up to 2-3 kilograms per month. In this case, you need to eat often, but smallin portions, mainly in the morning, excluding meals before bedtime or at night. In no case should you make yourself any indulgence and deviate from a strict menu.
Bread and pasta products should be eaten as infrequently as possible, and the main focus should be on products made from wholemeal flour, bran, rich in dietary fiber and digested much more slowly, thereby lowering the concentration of triglycerides.
It is better to immediately and irrevocably exclude any sweets from the diet, including desserts, cakes, ice cream, caramel, jam, honey, juices and soda with a high sugar content. Even fructose-rich fruits, especially tropical ones, need to be hidden until better times, in favor of vegetable fiber, which is abundant in legumes.
Instead of saturated fats of animal origin, butter, sausages, sausages, brisket, lard, pork, unsaturated, more nutritious and he althy fats should be present on the table. Fish, filled with omega-3 fatty acids necessary for this disease, should be consumed at least 4 times a week, without denying yourself the variety of its species. Tuna, salmon, mackerel, anchovies and sardines are especially welcome.
For the duration of treatment, an analogue of fatty sauces, mayonnaise or vegetable oil will be extra virgin olive oil, which contains a large number of useful elements that reduce the risk of developing cancer.
It is recommended to add s alt to food no more than a daily dose (one teaspoon), butinstead of refined sugar, use a non-caloric sweetener.
Water in the diet takes almost the first place, as it is allowed in unlimited quantities both during meals and during the day. Less often, you should pay attention to unsweetened fruit compotes, and alcohol is contraindicated in any quantities, since even a glass of wine can significantly increase the level of fats in the body, especially in people who are sensitive to alcohol. Tea and coffee are allowed in moderation and with low-calorie sweeteners. An unconditional cessation of smoking or other drugs is also required. All this requires hypertriglyceridemia. What it is is described above.
Triglycerides: a reason to lose weight
In the absence of chronic disease, a high concentration of triglycerides in the body suggests the presence of excess weight, much higher than normal. The reason for extra pounds lies in an unbalanced diet, the so-called junk food and insufficient physical activity. Returning to the original mass will entail the normalization of the functioning of fats: they will be completely converted into energy, which will affect the simultaneous decrease in subcutaneous reserves and the concentration of triglycerides in the blood.
A predominantly non-calorie and perfectly matched menu for each meal will significantly limit the amount of triglycerides received because 90% of fats are delivered to the body along with the food we consume and only 10% is producedinternal organs. This will also lead to a decrease in triglycerides produced by the body itself. It is also worth remembering that some foods stimulate their production by the liver in greater quantities than others, so it is important not to neglect the instructions and recommendations of a nutritionist and gastroenterologist. Especially if there is pancreatitis with hypertriglyceridemia.
Result of downgrade
Only consistent compliance with all recommendations together will help to defeat the disease quickly and without complications. Diet, moderate exercise, a he althy lifestyle for about 4-6 weeks lead to a significant, fifty percent reduction in triglyceride levels in the blood. Then hypertriglyceridemia will pass.
Diagnosis, treatment should be timely.
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However, self-medication is dangerous, because there are no pronounced symptoms of this disease, and triglyceride levels can only be determined in special laboratory conditions. Moreover, hypertriglyceridemia can occur under the influence of serious diseases. Also, the doctor will help in the individual selection of a program of therapeutic actions and the preparation of a daily diet. With a significant and very high concentration of these fats in the blood, consultation with a doctor is mandatory, since it is possible that medication and inpatient observation will be required.
We have examined in detail such a disease as hypertriglyceridemia. What is it (symptoms, treatment are described in the article) is now clear, respectively,it will be much easier to prevent the onset of the disease.
