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World Health Organization Fats Unsaturated vs. Saturated

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World Health Organization Fats Unsaturated vs. Saturated

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Call for public comments on the draft WHO Guidelines: Saturated fatty acid and trans-fatty intake for adults and children

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Call for public consultation on Draft Guidelines: Saturated fatty acid and trans-fatty intake for adults and children. Saturated fatty acids are found in foods from animal sources such as butter, cows' milk, meat, salmon, and egg yolks, and some plant-derived products such as chocolate and cocoa butter, coconut, and palm kernel oils.

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Triglycerides are polar on one end and have non-polar hydrocarbon chains. The polar end is hydrophilic while the non-polar chain is hydrophobic.

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Polar areas of a steroid include the areas that stick out from the rings. The chain and rings themselves are non-polar (not sure about this)

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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.

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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.

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- soda
-lard (pork fat)
-high fat meats : such as bacon, salami, sausage
-potato chips
-alcohol

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Waxes are hydroPHOBIC which have nonpolar molecules.

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3. How it is used and where it is found in your body

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3. How it is used and where it is found in your body

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One common use of waxes is to keep us warm by heating them up (candles)

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Phospholipids have a polar head and a hydrophobic tail.

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Phospholipids are found in the body in cells. They make up the cell membrane and provide a barrier between the inside and outside of cells.

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Milk, eggs, and soybeans

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phospholipid, also called Phosphatide, any member of a large class of fatlike, phosphorus-containing substances that play important structural and metabolic roles in living cells. The phospholipids, with the sphingolipids, the glycolipids, and the lipoproteins, are called complex lipids, as disting…

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Found in cell membranes (influence membrane's fluidity).
Act as hormones in the body.
Non Polar.

Link:
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/introchem/chapter/steroids/

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We don't usually eat foods with lots of wax. However, sometimes fruits are coated with a thin layer of wax to protect their freshness and shine.
Beeswax / honeycomb also includes wax.

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Cholesterol is the most abundant steroid found in the body. The liver creates its own cholesterol for the body and you also gain cholesterol from foods you may eat. It helps create cell membranes and gives it some rigidity to the cell membrane. Cholesterol also helps create hormones such as testosterone and progesterone.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69-eGO7XDfU

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Fatty meat products, eggs, milk products, and shellfish

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Learning Outcomes

Explain why hydrophilic substances cannot pass through the interior of the cell membrane

As we just learned, the main fabric of the membrane is composed of two layers of phospholipid molecules. The hydrophilic or "water-loving" areas of these molecules (which looks like a collection of balls in an artist's rendition of the model) (Figure 1) are in contact with the aqueous fluid both inside and outside the cell. Thus, both surfaces of the plasma membrane are hydrophilic. In contrast, the interior of the membrane, between its two surfaces, is a hydrophobic or nonpolar region because of the fatty acid tails. This region has no attraction for water or other polar molecules (we will discuss this further in the next page).

Hydrophobic, or water-hating molecules, tend to be non-polar. They interact with other non-polar molecules in chemical reactions, but generally do not interact with polar molecules. When placed in water, hydrophobic molecules tend to form a ball or cluster. The hydrophilic regions of the phospholipids tend to form hydrogen bonds with water and other polar molecules on both the exterior and interior of the cell. Thus, the membrane surfaces that face the interior and exterior of the cell are hydrophilic. In contrast, the interior of the cell membrane is hydrophobic and will not interact with water. Therefore, phospholipids form an excellent two-layer cell membrane that separates fluid within the cell from the fluid outside of the cell.

A phospholipid molecule (Figure 2) consists of a three-carbon glycerol backbone with two fatty acid molecules attached to carbons 1 and 2, and a phosphate-containing group attached to the third carbon.

This arrangement gives the overall molecule an area described as its head (the phosphate-containing group), which has a polar character or negative charge, and an area called the tail (the fatty acids), which has no charge. The head can form hydrogen bonds, but the tail cannot. A molecule with this arrangement of a positively or negatively charged area and an uncharged, or non-polar, area is referred to as amphiphilic or "dual-loving."

This characteristic is vital to the structure of a plasma membrane because, in water, phospholipids tend to become arranged with their hydrophobic tails facing each other and their hydrophilic heads facing out. In this way, they form a lipid bilayer-a barrier composed of a double layer of phospholipids that separates the water and other materials on one side of the barrier from the water and other materials on the other side. In fact, phospholipids heated in an aqueous solution tend to spontaneously form small spheres or droplets (called micelles or liposomes), with their hydrophilic heads forming the exterior and their hydrophobic tails on the inside (Figure 3).

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Explain why hydrophilic substances cannot pass through the interior of the cell membrane As we just learned, the main fabric of the membrane is composed of two layers of phospholipid molecules. The hydrophilic or "water-loving" areas of these molecules (which looks like a collection of balls in an artist's rendition of the model) (Figure 1) are in contact with the aqueous fluid both inside and outside the cell.

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What are triglycerides?

Triglycerides are a type of fat. They are the most common type of fat in your body. They come from foods, especially butter, oils, and other fats you eat. Triglycerides also come from extra calories. These are the calories that you eat, but your body does not need right away. Your body changes these extra calories into triglycerides and stores them in fat cells. When your body needs energy, it releases the triglycerides. Your VLDL cholesterol particles carry the triglycerides to your tissues.

Having a high level of triglycerides can raise your risk of heart diseases, such as coronary artery disease.

What causes high triglycerides?

Factors that can raise your triglyceride level include

Regularly eating more calories than you burn off, especially if you eat a lot of sugar

Being overweight or having obesity

Cigarette smoking

Excessive alcohol use

Certain medicines

Some genetic disorders

Thyroid diseases

Poorly controlled type 2 diabetes

Liver or kidney diseases

How are high triglycerides diagnosed?

There is a blood test that measures your triglycerides, along with your cholesterol. Triglyceride levels are measured in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). The guidelines for triglyceride levels are

Levels above 150mg/dl may raise your risk for heart disease. A triglyceride level of 150 mg/dL or higher is also a risk factor for metabolic syndrome.

What are the treatments for high triglycerides?

You may be able to lower your triglyceride levels with lifestyle changes:

Some people will also need to take cholesterol medicines to lower their triglycerides.

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Triglycerides are a type of fat. They are the most common type of fat in your body. They come from foods, especially butter, oils, and other fats you eat. Triglycerides also come from extra calories. These are the calories that you eat, but your body does not need right away.

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Triglycerides: Why do they matter?

Triglycerides are an important measure of heart health. Here's why triglycerides matter - and what to do if your triglycerides are too high.
By Mayo Clinic Staff
If you've been keeping an eye on your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, there's something else you might need to monitor: your triglycerides.

Having a high level of triglycerides in your blood can increase your risk of heart disease. But the same lifestyle choices that promote overall health can help lower your triglycerides, too.

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 from high-carbohydrate foods, you may have high triglycerides (hypertriglyceridemia).

What's considered normal?

A simple blood test can reveal whether your triglycerides fall into a healthy range:

Normal - Less than 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), or less than 1.7 millimoles per liter (mmol/L)

Borderline high - 150 to 199 mg/dL (1.8 to 2.2 mmol/L)

High - 200 to 499 mg/dL (2.3 to 5.6 mmol/L)

Very high - 500 mg/dL or above (5.7 mmol/L or above)

Your doctor will usually check for high triglycerides as part of a cholesterol test, which is sometimes called a lipid panel or lipid profile. You'll have to fast before blood can be drawn for an accurate triglyceride measurement.

What's the difference between triglycerides and cholesterol?

Triglycerides and cholesterol are different types of lipids that circulate in your blood:

Triglycerides store unused calories and provide your body with energy.

Cholesterol is used to build cells and certain hormones.

Why do high triglycerides matter?

High triglycerides may contribute to hardening of the arteries or thickening of the artery walls (arteriosclerosis) - which increases the risk of stroke, heart attack and heart disease. Extremely high triglycerides can also cause acute inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis).

High triglycerides are often a sign of other conditions that increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, including obesity and metabolic syndrome - a cluster of conditions that includes too much fat around the waist, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, high blood sugar and abnormal cholesterol levels.

High triglycerides can also be a sign of:

Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes

Metabolic syndrome - a condition when high blood pressure, obesity and high blood sugar occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease

Low levels of thyroid hormones (hypothyroidism)

Certain rare genetic conditions that affect how your body converts fat to energy

Sometimes high triglycerides are a side effect of taking certain medications, such as:

Diuretics

Estrogen and progestin

Retinoids

Steroids

Beta blockers

Some immunosuppressants

Some HIV medications

What's the best way to lower triglycerides?

Healthy lifestyle choices are key:

Exercise regularly. Aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity on most or all days of the week. Regular exercise can lower triglycerides and boost "good" cholesterol. Try to incorporate more physical activity into your daily tasks - for example, climb the stairs at work or take a walk during breaks.

Avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates, such as sugar and foods made with white flour or fructose, can increase triglycerides.

Lose weight. If you have mild to moderate hypertriglyceridemia, focus on cutting calories. Extra calories are converted to triglycerides and stored as fat. Reducing your calories will reduce triglycerides.

Choose healthier fats. Trade saturated fat found in meats for healthier fat found in plants, such as olive and canola oils. Instead of red meat, try fish high in omega-3 fatty acids - such as mackerel or salmon. Avoid trans fats or foods with hydrogenated oils or fats.

Limit how much alcohol you drink. Alcohol is high in calories and sugar and has a particularly potent effect on triglycerides. If you have severe hypertriglyceridemia, avoid drinking any alcohol.

What about medication?

If healthy lifestyle changes aren't enough to control high triglycerides, your doctor might recommend:

Statins. These cholesterol-lowering medications may be recommended if you also have poor cholesterol numbers or a history of blocked arteries or diabetes. Examples of statins include atorvastatin calcium (Lipitor) and rosuvastatin calcium (Crestor).

Fibrates. Fibrate medications, such as fenofibrate (TriCor, Fenoglide, others) and gemfibrozil (Lopid), can lower your triglyceride levels. Fibrates aren't used if you have severe kidney or liver disease.

Fish oil. Also known as omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil can help lower your triglycerides. Prescription fish oil preparations, such as Lovaza, contain more-active fatty acids than many nonprescription supplements. Fish oil taken at high levels can interfere with blood clotting, so talk to your doctor before taking any supplements.

Niacin. Niacin, sometimes called nicotinic acid, can lower your triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol - the "bad" cholesterol. Talk to your doctor before taking over-the-counter niacin because it can interact with other medications and cause significant side effects.

If your doctor prescribes medication to lower your triglycerides, take the medication as prescribed. And remember the significance of the healthy lifestyle changes you've made. Medications can help - but lifestyle matters, too.

Show references

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Can triglycerides affect my heart health?

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Triglycerides are an important measure of heart health. Here's why triglycerides matter - and what to do if your triglycerides are too high. By Mayo Clinic Staff If you've been keeping an eye on your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, there's something else you might need to monitor: your triglycerides.

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Phospholipid Definition

A phospholipid is a type of lipid molecule that is the main component of the cell membrane. Lipids are molecules that include fats, waxes, and some vitamins, among others. Each phospholipid is made up of two fatty acids, a phosphate group, and a glycerol molecule. When many phospholipids line up, they form a double layer that is characteristic of all cell membranes.

Phospholipid Structure

A phospholipid is made up of two fatty acid tails and a phosphate group head. Fatty acids are long chains that are mostly made up of hydrogen and carbon, while phosphate groups consist of a phosphorus molecule with four oxygen molecules attached. These two components of the phospholipid are connected via a third molecule, glycerol.

Phospholipids are able to form cell membranes because the phosphate group head is hydrophilic (water-loving) while the fatty acid tails are hydrophobic (water-hating). They automatically arrange themselves in a certain pattern in water because of these properties, and form cell membranes. To form membranes, phospholipids line up next to each other with their heads on the outside of the cell and their tails on the inside. A second layer of phospholipids also forms with heads facing the inside of the cell and tails facing away. In this way, a double layer is formed with phosphate group heads on the outside, and fatty acid tails on the inside. This double layer, called a lipid bilayer, forms the main part of the cell membrane. The nuclear envelope, a membrane surrounding a cell's nucleus, is also made up of phospholipids arranged in a lipid bilayer, as is the membrane of mitochondria, the part of the cell that produces energy.

This figure depicts the lipid bilayer and the structure of a phospholipid:

Functions of Phospholipids

As membrane components, phospholipids are selectively permeable (also called semi-permeable), meaning that only certain molecules can pass through them to enter or exit the cell. Molecules that dissolve in fat can pass through easily, while molecules that dissolve in water cannot. Oxygen, carbon dioxide, and urea are some molecules that can pass through the cell membrane easily. Large molecules like glucose or ions like sodium and potassium cannot pass through easily. This helps keep the contents of the cell working properly and separates the inside of the cell from the surrounding environment.

Phospholipids can be broken down in the cell and used for energy. They can also be split into smaller molecules called chemokines, which regulate a variety of activities in the cell such as production of certain proteins and migration of cells to different areas of the body. Additionally, they are found in areas such as the lung and in joints, where they help lubricate cells.
In pharmaceuticals, phospholipids are used as part of drug delivery systems, which are systems that help transport a drug throughout the body to the area that it is meant to affect. They have high bioavailability, meaning that they are easy for the body to absorb. Valium is an example of a medication that uses a phospholipid-based drug delivery system.

In the food industry, phospholipids can act as emulsifiers, which are substances that disperse oil droplets in water so that the oil and water do not form separate layers. For example, egg yolks contain phospholipids, and are used in mayonnaise to keep it from separating. Phospholipids are found in high concentrations in many other animal and plant sources, such as soybeans, sunflowers, cotton seeds, corn, and even cow brains.

Related Biology Terms

Lipid - a class of molecules that includes fats, waxes, and some vitamins, among other molecules.

Hydrophilic - a molecule that "loves water"; it is attracted to water molecules and can usually dissolve in water.

Hydrophobic - a molecule that "hates water"; it is not attracted to water, but will usually dissolve in oils or fats.

Lipid bilayer - a double layer of phospholipids that makes up the cell membrane and other membranes, like the nuclear envelope and the outside of mitochondria.

Quiz

3. What is a function of phospholipids?
A. Being part of a drug delivery system in some pharmaceuticals
B. Regulating cellular activities such as cell migration
C. Forming the cell membrane and the membranes of other organelles in the cell
D. All of the above

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Phospholipid - Definition, Structure and Functions | Biology Dictionary

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A phospholipid is a type of lipid molecule that is the main component of the cell membrane. Lipids are molecules that include fats, waxes, and some vitamins, among others. Each phospholipid is made up of two fatty acids, a phosphate group, and a glycerol molecule.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z4XNWCnY-I

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https://www.britannica.com/science/steroid/Biological-significance-of-steroids

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What are triglycerides?

Triglycerides are fats from the food we eat that are carried in the blood. Most of the fats we eat, including butter, margarines, and oils, are in triglyceride form. Excess calories, alcohol or sugar in the body turn into triglycerides and are stored in fat cells throughout the body.

How are triglycerides different from cholesterol?

Triglycerides and cholesterol are both fatty substances known as lipids. But, triglycerides are fats; cholesterol is not. Cholesterol is a waxy, odorless substance made by the liver that is an essential part of cell walls and nerves.

Cholesterol also plays an important role in body functions such as digestion and hormone production. In addition to being produced by the body, cholesterol comes from animal foods that we eat.

Pure cholesterol cannot mix with or dissolve in the blood. Therefore, the liver packages cholesterol with triglycerides and proteins in carriers called lipoproteins. The lipoproteins move this fatty mixture to areas throughout the body. An elevated triglyceride level increases the risk of heart disease.

When are triglyceride levels measured?

Triglyceride levels are usually measured whenever you have a blood test called a Lipid Profile. Everyone over age 20 should have their cholesterol checked at least every 5 years. Your healthcare provider can check your cholesterol and triglyceride levels by taking a sample of blood, which is sent to a lab for testing. The Lipid Profile shows your triglyceride level, total cholesterol level, HDL cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein or "good" cholesterol) and LDL (low-density lipoprotein or "bad" cholesterol) levels.

Blood triglyceride levels are normally high after you eat. Therefore, you should wait 12 hours after eating or drinking before you have your triglyceride levels tested. Many other factors affect blood triglyceride levels, including alcohol, diet, menstrual cycle, time of day and recent exercise.

What are the guidelines for triglyceride levels?

The national guidelines for fasting triglyceride levels in healthy adults are:

Normal: Under 150 mg/dl

Borderline High: 151-200 mg/dl

High: 201-499 mg/dl

Very High: 500 mg/dl or higher

Levels higher than 200 mg/dL are associated with an increase in the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death.

How can triglyceride levels be lowered?

If your triglyceride levels are high, the next step is for your doctor to check for potential causes. Certain medications, thyroid function issues, poorly controlled diabetes, liver or kidney disease can all cause triglyceride levels to be higher than normal.

The first steps in treatment to lower triglyceride levels include eating a healthy diet, achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, and aerobic exercise on a regular basis.

To lower your triglyceride levels, your diet should be:

low in fats

low in sugars

low in simple carbohydrates (the white stuff....potatoes, pasta, bread)

low in alcohol

If you have high triglycerides and low HDL or high LDL levels, you may need to take medication along with making lifestyle changes. If your triglyceride levels are in the very high range (over 500 mg/dL) you are at risk to develop other medical problems, so you will most likely need to take medication.

How do foods affect triglyceride levels?

Eating foods high in simple sugars significantly contributes to high triglyceride levels. Follow these guidelines to limit simple sugars in your diet:

Substitute beverages like colas, fruit drinks, iced tea, lemonade, Hi-C and Kool-Aid with artificially sweetened beverages labeled "sugar-free" or "diet."

Limit hard candies, chocolates, candy bars, and gummy bears.

Avoid adding table sugar and brown sugar to cereal, drinks or foods. Instead, use an artificial or herbal sweetener or nothing at all!

Choose sugar-free gum or mints instead of the regular versions.

Try light or low-sugar syrups on pancakes and waffles.

Spread breads and crackers with no-sugar-added jelly or preserves.

Snack on whole fruit instead of fruit roll-ups and other fruit-flavored treats.

When selecting cereals, choose those with no more than 8 grams of sugar per serving.

Try sugar-free gelatin, popsicles, yogurts, and puddings instead of the regular versions.

Be aware that desserts labeled "fat-free" usually contain more sugar than the full-fat varieties and the same number of calories.

Cut back on or avoid eating sweets and dessert foods, including cookies, cakes, pastries, pies, ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet, gelato, and flavored ices. All of these foods contain high levels of sugar.

Read the ingredients list on food labels, and limit foods that list any of the following words (all simple sugars) in the first few ingredients:

Natural sugars, when eaten in excess, can also raise your triglyceride level.
Follow these guidelines to help limit natural sugars:

Use honey and molasses sparingly; they are both high in sugar.

Choose light yogurt (made with artificial sweeteners) instead of regular yogurt.

Choose whole fruit instead of fruit juice.

Limit dried fruits to ¼ cup per day. Dried fruits contain a more concentrated source of sugar than fresh fruits.

Choose canned fruit in its own juice and strain before eating. Avoid canned fruits packed in heavy syrup.

Limit your portion sizes of starchy vegetables to ½ cup. These include mashed potatoes, yams, beans, corn, and peas. Limit baked potatoes (with skin) to about 3 ounces.

Limit refined grains: products made with bleached, enriched or refined flour which contain very little or no dietary fiber.

Choose breads, crackers, and cereals that contain whole grain oats, barley, corn, rice or wheat as the first ingredient

Try whole-wheat pasta or brown rice.

Choose breads, crackers, rice, and pasta with 2 or more grams of dietary fiber per serving.

Select hot and cold cereals with 5 or more grams of dietary fiber per serving.

Use barley, bulgur, couscous, millet or wheat berries as a side dish.

Try whole wheat crackers with soup instead of saltines.

A key part of controlling triglycerides is making sure you limit your portion sizes of grain-based foods.
Examples of a single serving size of grain-based foods:

1 slice of bread

2 slices of reduced-calorie bread

½ hot dog or hamburger bun

½ English muffin

½ bagel (1 ounce)

1 oz most cold cereals (¼ to 1 cup)

2 graham crackers

¾ matzoh cracker

4 slices melba toast

3 cups popped light popcorn

2 to 6 baked whole-wheat crackers

½ cup cooked cereal (including oatmeal, oat bran, cream of wheat)

Alcoholic beverages can significantly raise triglyceride levels. Beer, wine, spirits, mixed drinks, wine coolers and coffee drinks containing alcohol are all examples. Men should not have more than 2 drinks per day. Women should have no more than one drink per day.

One serving of alcohol is equal to: 1.5-ounce spirits, 3 ounces wine or 12 ounces beer. Keep in mind that these are general guidelines. If you have elevated triglyceride levels, you should avoid alcoholic beverages or have less than recommended in the above guidelines.

Including too much fat in your diet, especially saturated and trans fats can increase your triglyceride levels. However, cutting back too much on fats can result in eating too much sugar if you eat many reduced-fat foods. If you have high triglycerides, follow these dietary guidelines to reduce fat in your diet:

Limit your total fat intake to 30% to 35% of your total daily calories.

Limit saturated fat to 7% of your total daily calories.

Avoid foods high in trans-fats.

Limit your total cholesterol intake to 200 mg daily.

Choose monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (such as canola and olive oils) over other types of oils.

See your dietitian or clinician for more information to help you determine your daily fat limit.

More ways to help lower triglycerides:

Lose weight if you are overweight. Reduce the number of calories you eat each day by controlling portion sizes.

Eat small, frequent meals and do not skip meals.

Avoid late-night snacking.

Participate in regular physical activity.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Foods that contain Omega-3 fatty acids have been found to be very powerful in lowering triglycerides.

To get more omega-3 fats in your diet, choose fatty fish for two or more meals each week. Examples of fatty fish are mackerel, salmon, sardines, tuna, herring, and trout. You can also choose plant-based forms of omega-3, such as soy foods, canola oil, flax seeds, and walnuts.

Medication Therapy

Diet and exercise are not always enough to lower high triglyceride levels. If this is the case, you may need to take medication.

Statins are the first-line medications for patients with high triglycerides. While these medications are known for their cholesterol-lowering properties, they also work quite well at lowering triglyceride levels. They are also known to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and other major cardiac events.

You may need to take more than one medication. There are several second-line medications your doctor may prescribe. One is omega-3 fatty acids. Your doctor may recommend taking between 2,000 mg (2 grams) and 4,000 mg (4 grams) of DHA + EPA (the key omega-3 fatty acids) each day. In large trials, omega-3 fatty acid supplements have been shown to reduce cardiac risks. 1, 2

Niacin is also used to help lower triglyceride levels. When niacin is taken in large amounts, it acts like a drug. It is used to lower levels of both triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterol. Niacin therapy can also raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels. Studies show that niacin alone helps reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death. However, we still do not have trial data showing that adding niacin to treatment with statins has a greater impact on the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death. There is some evidence that the combination does offer greater benefits than niacin alone.3 Our physicians at Cleveland Clinic often prescribe niacin in combination with statins to help reduce triglyceride and more importantly, help to lower LDL levels to reach lipid goals.

Researchers in a recent trial known as ACCORD studied patients with diabetes who were taking a statin and a medication called fenofibric acid (also known as TriCor and Trilipix) to lower triglyceride levels. Although the patients' triglyceride levels went down, the study did not establish an overall benefit for those taking the medication. This was especially true among the women in the trial. The medication did seem to decrease the risk of cardiovascular events among a subset of men, particularly those with triglyceride levels higher than 220 mg/dL and very low HDL levels. Therefore, the medication may benefit men with high triglyceride and low HDL levels.4

These studies clearly show that the way in which a person lowers triglyceride levels makes a difference, and simply lowering the levels is not always enough to reduce the risk of cardiac events. Instead, an overall effort to reduce the risks of cardiovascular events is best. You should discuss the risks and benefits of any triglyceride-lowering therapy with your primary care physician, or see a specialist in Cleveland Clinic's Preventive Cardiology department to help understand and evaluate your treatment options.

Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 01/16/2019.

References

GISSI PREVENZIONE INVESTIGATORS. Dietary supplementation with n3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E after myocardial infarctation: results of the GISSI Prevenzione trial. Lancet 1999; 354:447-455. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10465168

THIES F, GARRY JM, YAQOOD P, RERKASEM K, WILLIAMS J,SHEARMAN CP. Association of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids with stability of atherosclerotic plaques: a randomized controlled trial. Lancet 2003; 361: 477-485. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12583947

Brown BG, Zhao, XQ, Chait, A, et.al. Simvastatin and Niacin, Antioxidant Vitamins, or the Combination for the Prevention of Coronary Disease. New Engl J Med 2001; Volume 345:1583-1592. www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa011090

The ACCORD Study Group. Effects of Combination Lipid Therapy in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. New Engl J Med 2010; 362 (18)1748. www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1001282

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Triglycerides & Heart Health: Lowering Levels, Guidelines & Foods to Avoid

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Triglycerides are fats from the food we eat that are carried in the blood. Most of the fats we eat, including butter, margarines, and oils, are in triglyceride form. Excess calories, alcohol or sugar in the body turn into triglycerides and are stored in fat cells throughout the body.

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https://www.britannica.com/science/steroid#:~:text=All%20steroids%20are%20related%20to,bonded%20to%2028%20hydrogen%20atoms.