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Encouraging News about Americans’ Triglyceride Levels

| May 8, 2015 Comment

Encouraging News about Americans’ Triglyceride Levels – According to a new federal study, the number of people with high triglyceride levels dropped considerably in the past ten years.

Triglycerides are a type of fat (lipid) in your blood, and high levels can put your heart health at risk, and may also cause type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease. Your body converts unused calories into triglycerides. Triglycerides are stored in your fat cells, and are released when the body needs energy. Excess calories can result in high levels of triglycerides. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends a triglyceride level of 100 mg/dL (1.1 mmol/L) or lower. A level between 200 to 499 mg/dL (2.3 to 5.6 mmol/L) is considered high. The AHA recommends lifestyle changes to lower triglycerides, such as giving up smoking, diet, exercise, and weight loss. Medications commonly used for lowering triglycerides and cholesterol are known as statins.

The new report shows that unhealthy levels of triglycerides dropped from 40% in 2001-2004 to 25% in 2009-2012. They were lower in obese and overweight men and women. The results are surprising, given the rise in obesity and diabetes among Americans.

The study was published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) in the May issue of the NCHS Data Brief.

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