Friday, January 8, 2016

Cholesterol & Triglycerides

Cholesterol Tests
Everyone should have their first screening test by age 35 for Men and age 45 for Women.  Check Cholesterol test sometimes, called a lipid panel or lipid profile. It measures all types of cholesterol in your blood.

Total cholesterol
ü Low density lipoprotein (LDL cholesterol)
ü High density lipoprotein (HDL cholesterol)
ü Triglycerides (another type of fat in your blood)
ü Very low density lipoprotein (VLDL cholesterol)

What are triglycerides?
Triglycerides are a type of fat (lipid) found in your blood. When you eat, your body converts any calories it doesn't need to use right away into triglycerides. The triglycerides are stored in your fat cells. Later, hormones release triglycerides for energy between meals. If you regularly eat more calories than you burn, particularly "easy" calories like carbohydrates and fats, you may have high triglycerides (hypertriglyceridemia).

What's considered Normal triglycerides?
The National Cholesterol Education Program has set guidelines for triglyceride levels:
Level mg/dL
Level mmol/L
Interpretation
< 150
< 1.70
Normal range – Low risk
150 - 199
1.70 - 2.25
Borderline high – Medium risk
200 - 499
2.26 - 5.65
High – Some risk
500 or higher
> 5.65
Very High – High risk
These levels are tested after fasting 9 to 12 hours. Triglyceride levels remain temporarily higher for a period after eating.

Very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) Cholesterol?
VLDL is made up of 55-65% triglycerides, 10-15% cholesterol, 15-20% phospholipid, and 5-10% protein. VLDL (very low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol contains minimal protein and mainly transports triglycerides.  VLDL calculate is 5% of triglycerides

The best way to lower your VLDL cholesterol is to lower your triglycerides. Losing weight and exercising regularly are key and you might also want to avoid sugary food, eggs, red meet, and alcohol in particular.

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