Cholesterol and other fats in your blood are needed for certain body processes. Cholesterol travels to your cells via special carriers called lipoproteins. The total cholesterol reading in a lipid profile test measures the blood cholesterol in all the lipoproteins combined.
Low-density lipoproteins LDL move cholesterol from the liver to other areas of the body. LDL is referred to as the "bad" cholesterol, because some of the LDL particles enter the walls of arteries. There, they form harmful cholesterol deposits. High-density lipoproteins HDL carry cholesterol from body tissues back to the liver where it can be removed from the body.
Having plenty of HDL cholesterol means that your body is able to regulate and reduce the cholesterol content of body tissues. Cholesterol in HDL has been called the "good" cholesterol. Food is one source of triglycerides. Your liver also makes them. When you eat extra calories — especially carbohydrates — your liver increases the production of triglycerides. If you have a high triglyceride level, your healthcare provider may have talked with you about taking steps to lower it.
This is because some lipoproteins that are rich in triglycerides also contain cholesterol. This can lead to atherosclerosis in people with high triglycerides.
A person with high triglycerides often has other risk factors for heart disease, such as age men over 45 and women over 55 , family history, a low HDL level, or diabetes. Very high levels of triglycerides are associated with inflammation of the pancreas. Therefore, when glucose levels are low, triglycerides can be converted into acetyl CoA molecules and used to generate ATP through aerobic respiration.
This fatty acyl CoA combines with carnitine to create a fatty acyl carnitine molecule, which helps to transport the fatty acid across the mitochondrial membrane. Once inside the mitochondrial matrix, the fatty acyl carnitine molecule is converted back into fatty acyl CoA and then into acetyl CoA Figure If excessive acetyl CoA is created from the oxidation of fatty acids and the Krebs cycle is overloaded and cannot handle it, the acetyl CoA is diverted to create ketone bodies.
These ketone bodies can serve as a fuel source if glucose levels are too low in the body. Ketones serve as fuel in times of prolonged starvation or when patients suffer from uncontrolled diabetes and cannot utilize most of the circulating glucose. In both cases, fat stores are liberated to generate energy through the Krebs cycle and will generate ketone bodies when too much acetyl CoA accumulates. Organs that have classically been thought to be dependent solely on glucose, such as the brain, can actually use ketones as an alternative energy source.
This keeps the brain functioning when glucose is limited. When ketones are produced faster than they can be used, they can be broken down into CO 2 and acetone. The acetone is removed by exhalation. This effect provides one way of telling if a diabetic is properly controlling the disease.
The carbon dioxide produced can acidify the blood, leading to diabetic ketoacidosis, a dangerous condition in diabetics. Ketones oxidize to produce energy for the brain. The carbon within the acetoacetyl CoA that is not bonded to the CoA then detaches, splitting the molecule in two. These two acetyl CoA molecules are then processed through the Krebs cycle to generate energy Figure When glucose levels are plentiful, the excess acetyl CoA generated by glycolysis can be converted into fatty acids, triglycerides, cholesterol, steroids, and bile salts.
This process, called lipogenesis , creates lipids fat from the acetyl CoA and takes place in the cytoplasm of adipocytes fat cells and hepatocytes liver cells. When you eat more glucose or carbohydrates than your body needs, your system uses acetyl CoA to turn the excess into fat.
Although there are several metabolic sources of acetyl CoA, it is most commonly derived from glycolysis. However, elevated non-fasting triglyceride levels have also been found to be associated with cardiovascular risk. Triglycerides are used for transporting and storing fatty acids in the body. When food is plentiful, the fatty acids are stored, in the form of triglycerides, in the body's fat cells — and body fat accumulates. During periods of fasting, triglycerides are released by fat cells into the circulation to provide fuel for metabolism.
First, excess body fat, especially fat stored in abdominal tissues, can lead to prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Being overweight from too much body fat can itself increase your risk for cardiovascular disease.
Second, high triglyceride blood levels, a condition called hypertriglyceridemia , are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and very high triglyceride levels can produce pancreatitis a painful and sometimes dangerous inflammation of the pancreas. If you have been told you have high triglyceride levels, your healthcare provider should be doing a full evaluation to find out why.
There are several potential and usually treatable causes for elevated triglycerides, including diabetes , metabolic syndrome , hypothyroidism , kidney disease, and several prescription medications.
If you have hypertriglyceridemia, your healthcare provider should look for these conditions and institute treatment if they are found. In addition, depending on the level to which your triglycerides are increased, your healthcare provider may recommend placing you on therapy specifically aimed at bringing down those elevated levels.
Such treatment will certainly include lifestyle changes diet and exercise , and may include drug therapy specifically aimed at reducing triglyceride levels. This may include a fibrate drug or niacin , or prescription omega-3 fatty acid therapy. Looking to start a diet to better manage your cholesterol?
Changing lifelong eating habits can be scary at first, but our guide will make it easier. The reaction of palmitoylation, potassium and magnesium palmitate, absorption of fatty acids by enterocytes and microbiota of large intestine]. Klin Lab Diagn.
Alves-bezerra M, Cohen DE. Triglyceride Metabolism in the Liver. Compr Physiol. Effect of dietary fatty acid composition on food intake, triglycerides, and hypothalamic peptides. Regul Pept. 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.
If healthy lifestyle changes aren't enough to control high triglycerides, your doctor might recommend:. 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. There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Sign up for free, and stay up-to-date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID, plus expert advice on managing your health.
Error Email field is required. Error Include a valid email address. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information and to understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your e-mail and website usage information with other information we have about you. If we combine this information with your PHI, we will treat all of that information as PHI, and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices.
You may opt-out of e-mail communications at any time by clicking on the Unsubscribe link in the e-mail. Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information.
Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below. Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization and proceeds from Web advertising help support our mission. Mayo Clinic does not endorse any of the third party products and services advertised.
0コメント