Dr. Mirkin on Triglcerides Mechanisms

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TRIGLYCERIDES CAUSE HEART ATTACKS - Gabe Mirkin, M.D.

Having high blood levels of triglycerides increases your risk of

having a heart attack (1,2,3,6) and diabetes (4).

When you take in more calories than you body needs, the extra

calories are converted to triglycerides. It doesn't matter whether

the extra calories come from carbohydrates, fats or proteins. When

your blood sugar level rises too high, your pancreas releases huge

amounts of insulin that also raises blood triglyceride levels. The

amount of insulin in your bloodstream is determined by how high blood

sugar levels rise after eating. Insulin also lowers blood levels of

the good HDL cholesterol that helps prevent heart attacks.

Those with high blood levels of triglycerides usually store most of

their fat in their bellies rather than their hips and have low blood

levels of the good HDL cholesterol that prevents heart attacks. If

your triglyceride level is above the normal 150, you eat too much

food or have high blood insulin levels that can cause heart attacks.

You can reduce blood triglyceride level by eating less food and

avoiding foods that cause the highest rise in blood sugar, such as

bakery products, pasta, and foods with added sugar. Omega-3 fatty

acids found in seafood and seeds also lower triglycerides (5).

1) J Jeppesen, HO Hein, P Suadicani, F Gyntelberg. Triglyceride

concentration and ischemic heart disease: An eight-year follow-up in

the Copenhagen Male Study.Circulation 97: 11 (MAR 24 1998):1029-1036.

2) M .The epidemiology of triglyceride as a coronary artery

disease risk factor.Clinical Cardiology, 1999, Vol 22, Iss 6, Suppl.

2, pp II1-II6.

3) SH Gianturco, WA Bradley.Pathophysiology of triglyceride-rich

lipoproteins in atherothrombosis: Cellular aspects.Clinical

Cardiology, 1999, Vol 22, Iss 6, Suppl. 2, pp II7-II14.

4) A Georgopoulos.Postprandial triglyceride metabolism in diabetes

mellitus.Clinical Cardiology, 1999, Vol 22, Iss 6, Suppl. 2, pp II28-

II33.

5) WS .Nonpharmacologic treatment of hypertriglyceridemia:

Focus on fish oils.Clinical Cardiology, 1999, Vol 22, Iss 6, Suppl.

2, pp II40-II43.

6) L Stavenow, T Kjellstrom. Influence of serum triglyceride levels

on the risk for myocardial infarction in 12510 middle aged males:

interaction with serum cholesterol. Atherosclerosis, 1999, Vol 147,

Iss 2, pp 243-247.