Nearly one in five Americans has high levels of triglyceride and one-third have borderline symptoms. Unfortunately, most are blissfully unaware of the consequences, doing little to bring down the levels. People totally concentrate on LDL [bad cholesterol], tending to forget that high triglyceride levels lead to cardiovascular disease and early death.
Dr. Earl S. Ford of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and lead author of the study said: "Clearly, the focus in this country has been on cholesterol levels. But there are a fair number of studies that suggest that triglycerides have a role in cardiovascular disease."
Dr Ford and colleagues examined data for 5,610 participants age 20 and above who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys between 1999 and 2004. The 2,837 men and 2,773 women were questioned and underwent examinations and blood tests.
The researchers found that 33.1 percent of them had borderline high triglyceride levels; 17.9 percent had 200 or higher levels, 1.7 percent had a concentration of 500 or higher; and 0.4 percent had 1,000 milligrams per deciliter or higher.
It was also observed that hypertriglyceridemia was more prevalent in people who were older, white, smokers, obese and diabetic, and those who lacked higher education. Drugs for triglyceride-lowering (gembifrozil, niacin and fenofibrate) were taken only by 1.3 percent of the participants.
Ford said. "Unlike LDL cholesterol, where we have all kinds of trials showing the benefits of statins against cardiovascular disease, there is not as strong a database for triglycerides. Until we get stronger evidence of benefit, drug treatment of triglycerides remains a little uncertain. Whether taking these drugs will reduce cardiovascular disease is unclear."
Experts feel that the best way to combat high triglyceride is to have a healthy lifestyle and consume a low-fat diet. Smoking and alcohol intake, which promotes triglyceride production by the liver, should also be cut.
Dr. Stephen Nicholls, a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic feels the need for more focus on triglycerides. "Many doctors are not sure about how aggressive they should be in treating elevated triglycerides.
“There are always other issues, such as obesity and smoking, involved. But we are understanding, more and more that looking after triglycerides is important in providing heart care. If you look at large populations, those with high levels of triglycerides always do worse," Nicholls said.
The study is published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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