When you get your blood lipid test report, do you only focus on the "cholesterol" reading?
Actually, there is another key indicator that is easily overlooked - triglycerides. It is like "fat garbage" in the blood. Once it exceeds the standard, the damage to blood vessels is no less than cholesterol.
Today, let's talk about how to read and understand a blood lipid test report!!!
The four core indicators on the blood lipid test report are:
Total cholesterol;
Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (bad cholesterol);
High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (good cholesterol);
Triglycerides.
A simple explanation: Bad cholesterol is a "vascular killer" that deposits in the vascular wall to form plaques; good cholesterol is a "vascular cleaner" responsible for removing waste, and the higher its level, the better.
Triglycerides, as an important lipid, should be kept below 1.69 mmol/L in normal range: 1.69-2.25 mmol/L is considered borderline elevated, and any level above 2.26 mmol/L is elevated, which should be taken seriously!
Why should we be more vigilant about triglycerides?
Many people think it's just "a little more fat" and doesn't matter - this is a serious misconception!
Fatal risk: When triglyceride levels exceed 5.7 mmol/L (significantly elevated), it directly increases the risk of acute pancreatitis, a disease characterized by rapid onset and high mortality, thus being termed a "fatal crisis".
Covert damage: Long-term mild to moderate elevation can accelerate atherosclerosis. It makes the blood become viscous like "congee", not only aggravating the deposition of bad cholesterol, but also forming unstable plaques. Once these plaques rupture and form blood clots, they may induce myocardial infarction and cerebral infarction!
Triglycerides are closely related to overweight/obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, etc.
More importantly, elevated triglycerides are closely related to unhealthy lifestyle habits and are even more easily overlooked than cholesterol!
The main contributing factors include: high-sugar diet (milk tea, cakes, refined rice and flour), excessive calorie intake, overly greasy diet, long-term heavy alcohol consumption, sedentary lifestyle, and obesity (especially abdominal obesity).
Many people who don't smoke and eat less fatty meat unknowingly become patients with hypertriglyceridemia due to their love for sweet drinks and late-night snacks
After understanding the indicators, the focus should be on how to control them!
For triglycerides, adjusting lifestyle is more crucial than taking medication. The core is to focus on three points:
1. Keep your mouth shut (the core of the core)
Control sugar and carbon: give up milk tea and desserts, and replace half of refined rice and flour with coarse grains and beans;
Choose the right fats: Eat less fried foods and fatty meat (reduce trans fat and saturated fat), and eat more deep-sea fish. Patients with TG <5.7 mmol should consume more nuts appropriately, while patients with TG ≥5.7 mmol should reduce nut intake appropriately.
2. Stride your legs
Engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, such as brisk walking, slow running, and swimming, to help your body burn excess fat.
3. Limit alcohol consumption and abstain from alcohol
Alcohol directly promotes the liver's synthesis of triglycerides, making it the "primary culprit" in elevating triglyceride levels. It is recommended that patients with TG levels less than 5.7 mmol/L limit their alcohol intake to less than 30g per day, while those with TG levels of 5.7 mmol/L or higher should completely abstain from alcohol consumption.
Highlight reminder:
Regular reexamination: For individuals with a family history of obesity, diabetes, and hypertension, it is recommended to undergo a blood lipid test once a year;
Seek medical attention promptly: If triglyceride levels are severely elevated or accompanied by abnormal cholesterol levels, it is essential to follow the doctor's advice and take medication.
Don't just focus on cholesterol anymore! From today onwards, include triglycerides in your "vascular health monitoring checklist" to truly safeguard your blood vessels
Health Management Center
The Health Management Center, relying on Hainan Cancer Hospital and Hainan Chengmei Hospital, is committed to implementing the "Healthy China" strategy, expanding the connotation and extension of traditional physical examination services, transforming and extending from disease treatment to health management, and providing health management services. It strives to build the most professional health management institution. Adhering to the service principle of "professional authority, customized exclusivity, and health protection", the center has established a complete set of professional, refined, and standardized service processes in accordance with the central leaders' healthcare system. It provides professional services to high-end individuals such as provincial and ministerial leaders, foreign VIPs, corporate elites, and social celebrities.