Triglycerides are our body’s main weapon to generate energy, being the main constituents of body fat and vegetable fat. It has always been related to cholesterol and proteins, since together they form what is known as chylomicrons.
This is one of the main weapons of the organism to generate energy, being a type of fat that is present in the blood and comes mainly from food, especially those such as oil, butter or other fats that add calories to our body. However, if we consume more calories than we burn we could have health problems.
In general, high triglycerides do not give rise to exaggerated symptoms, but they do produce setbacks to the organism that could be identified through medical check-ups and thus avoid more serious health complications. Thus, it is of vital importance to know how to recognize the symptoms caused by uncontrolled triglyceride levels in the blood.
What causes triglycerides to rise?
Specialists affirm that having a high level of triglycerides could increase the risk of heart disease. In addition, it should be remembered that it can be a sign of metabolic syndrome, which arises from the combination of:
- High blood pressure
- Low level of high intensity lipoprotein cholesterol, known as «good cholesterol».
- High triglycerides
- Too much fat around the waist
- High blood sugar
In this sense, metabolic syndrome increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke. Factors that can cause a severe increase in triglyceride levels are the following:
- Smoking
- Liver or kidney disease
- Poorly controlled type 2 diabetes
- Drinking alcohol
- Being overweight
- Some medications
- Genetic disorders
- Thyroid disease
- Consuming more calories than are burned
Symptoms of high triglycerides
Experts in the field point out that high triglyceride levels do not usually produce symptoms. However, they point out that if the high triglyceride level is due to a genetic condition, fatty deposits known as xanthomas may appear under the skin.
Although they are not very obvious signs, we may begin to notice some details that could alert us to the fact that our triglycerides are out of control:
- Fat balls on the eyelids, yellowish and called xanthelasma.
- White spots on the retina.
- Fat accumulation in the abdominal region and other parts of the body.
- Small balls of fat in the skin called xanthomas, mainly in hands, arms, feet and joints.
If you notice any of the above mentioned alterations, Tododisca recommends you to consult a doctor for a personalized treatment as soon as possible.
