Causes of High Triglycerides

However, the commonest cause of an elevated triglyceride level is -- inadequate patient fasting, since a recent meal will cause fat in the form of triglycerides to be transported from the gut to the rest of the body.

Date:   2/21/2008 4:26:14 PM   ( 16 y ) ... viewed 32987 times

High Triglycerides: Multiple Causes, excerpted from  
http://www.reducetriglycerides.com/B.htm 
      


The most common cause of an elevated triglyceride level is a non-fasting specimen.

There are many, common and uncommon causes of high blood triglycerides, including dietary indiscretion, metabolic disease, drugs, or rare genetic mutation of an enzyme in the lipid metabolism pathway (type I hyperlipoproteinemia).

It is a well-known fact, that in many cases unfavourably elevated blood triglyceride levels are caused by:

    * too acid pH of glycerol (due to diet and lack of potassium via phosphorylation in the stomach) and
    * improperly oxidized (metabolized) fatty acids in the gut by pancreatic enzymes.

However, the commonest cause of an elevated triglyceride level is -- inadequate patient fasting, since a recent meal will cause fat in the form of triglycerides to be transported from the gut to the rest of the body.

Once a non-fasting specimen has been eliminated as a possible cause of increased triglycerides, the other causes should be considered, such as:

    * High triglycerides - metabolic syndrome connection; metabolic syndrome X, also called the insulin resistance syndrome or pre-diabetic syndrome; although not a cause of high triglycerides, metabolic syndrome is closely associated with this condition, along with low HDL-"good" cholesterol

    * obesity or overweight; generally when people lose weight, both triglycerides and HDL-"good" cholesterol improve

    * Next link will open in a new window: High triglycerides diabetes connection type 2 diabetes and/or when the body cannot handle blood sugar (glucose); poorly controlled diabetes can increase triglycerides significantly, especially when blood glucose is out of control

    *  High triglycerides - stress connection during stress, fat is not being metabolized as rapidly and efficiently; a new study has found the evidence that psychological stress causes triglycerides to stay in the bloodstream longer contributing to heart disease (Psychophysiology, 2002: 39; 80-85)

    * High triglycerides depression connection  - depression works on your body in different ways than stress, but the results are the same; in a 1994 study, Dr. Glueck and colleagues demonstrated that high blood triglycerides, together with high total cholesterol and low HDL-"good" cholesterol, were the sole causative factors in mild to serious depression he detected in patients referred for treatment of severe familial hypertriglyceridemia

    * too long fasting (way over 14 hours); it causes major changes in energy metabolism, especially with implications for blood triglycerides

    * regular ingestion of refined carbohydrates such as starches, grains, sweets, and other sugar-containing foods; generally, a diet in which more than 60% of the energy intake is from carbohydrates

    * heavy caffeine use, on average 560 mg of caffeine per day; however, the amount of caffeine in coffee or tea is variable: one 5 oz. cup of coffee contains approximately 40-170 mg caffeine (average 80 mg), one 12. oz. can of Cola contains 30-60 mg caffeine (average: 45 mg), one 8 oz. cup of black tea (one tea bag) contains 25-110 mg caffeine (average: 40 mg)

    * smoking cigarettes (overall, as smoking is one of the biggest contributors to excessive blood fats, smokers have significantly higher serum concentrations of triglycerides compared with nonsmokers; smoking does damage indirectly by reducing HDL-"good" cholesterol, which helps take triglycerides from the blood back into the liver for excretion.)

    * High triglycerides alcohol connection alcohol (alcohol abuse - heavy drinking or alcoholism)

    * High triglycerides exercise connection exercise (sedentary lifestyle, lack of physical activity)

    * chronic liver disease, such as cirrhosis, most often associated with alcohol abuse

    * nephrotic syndrome, a condition indicating kidney damage, characterized by high levels of protein in the urine, lack of protein in the blood that lead to hyperlipidemia with elevated cholestorols, triglycerides and other lipids, and edema

    * High triglycerides pancreatitis fatty liver connection pancreatitis - inflammation or infection of the pancreas, which in turn may be caused by high levels of triglycerides

    * cyclosporine (Neoral) - a potent immunosuppressant, prescription medication used to prevent rejection problems in kidney, liver, heart and bone marrow transplants (currently, a bone marrow transplant is the only cure for chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML); however, the procedure is successful less than 2/3 of the time). Following bone marrow transplants, cyclosporine increases both triglyceride and LDL-"bad" cholesterol levels in blood

    * dialysis or kidney transplantation; 50 to 80 percent of kidney transplant patients have some degree of high cholesterol and/or triglycerides which may persist for years after transplant

    * interferon (IFN) therapy - there are several reports that interferon can cause alterations in lipid metabolism in about 10 to 15 percent of patients resulting in mild elevations in triglycerides and increases in cholesterol; usually, the changes return to normal when treatment is stopped

    * atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of heart disease

    * hyperlipoproteinemia (hyperlipidemia), characterized by abnormally high levels of lipids (cholesterol, triglycerides, or both) carried by lipoproteins in the blood

    * vertigo which may be a symptom of numerous problems with metabolism, including high blood triglycerides (Lehrer JF, Poole DC, Seaman M, et al. Identification and treatment of metabolic abnormalities in patients with vertigo. Arch. Intern. Med. 1986;146:1497–500)

    * underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) - a condition caused by the effects of too little thyroid hormone in tissues of the body

    * cystic fibrosis, a fatal inherited disorder affecting mainly the lungs and the digestive system (high blood triglyceride levels in people with cystic fibrosis may be related to a chronic low-grade inflammation or to a dietary macronutrient imbalance with an excess absorption of simple carbohydrate compared to fat)

    * Kawasaki Disease (KD) - a febrile systemic vasculitis in children; an inflammation of the blood vessels accompanied by high fever of unclear cause and overrepresented in Asian populations, especially Japanese, and among Americans of Japanese descent; in the early phase of KD, lipid profile alterations include increased levels of triglycerides and decreased levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and cholesterol; if untreated, KD can be complicated by coronary and peripheral arterial aneurysms (CAA)

    * lupus, an autoimmune disorder, chronic inflammatory disease affecting especially the skin, joints, blood, and kidneys

    * gout, one of the most common forms of arthritis (joint inflammation), usually affecting the feet and ankles, especially the ball of the big toe

    * Cushing's syndrome, sometimes called "hypercortisolism" - a relatively rare hormonal disorder caused by prolonged exposure of the body's tissues to high levels of the hormone cortisol, commonly characterized by upper body obesity

    * polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) - an endocrine (hormonal) disorder; although high triglycerides are very often associated with PCOS, they are not seen in every woman (no two women experiencing PCOS have exactly the same symptoms)

    * estrogens, for example as "the pill" or as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), such as Premarin (for menopause or hysterectomy); progesterone, however, also tends to increase blood triglycerides and decrease HDL-"good" cholesterol

    * corticosteroids (kor-ti-koe-STER-oyds) - strong cortisone-like, antyinflammatory drugs, such as Hydrocortisone, Prednisolone, and Prednisone; abnormal deposits of fat on bones and in the bone marrow reduce the blood circulation leading to osteonecrosis, also called avascular necrosis, typical in AIDS patients

    * cholestyramins (koe-less-TEAR-a-meens) - drugs for lowering cholesterol, such as Questran or Prevalite

    * beta-blockers - a short name for beta-adrenergic blocking agents or beta-blocking agents (most of the generic names for beta blockers end with "olol"); used in the treatment of high blood pressure (hypertension), cardiac arrhytmias, angina (chest pain) and in patients with coronary artery disease to help prevent additional heart attacks. Some beta-blockers, without intrinsic sympathomimetic activity (ISA), tend to raise serum triglycerides and to decrease HDL-"good" cholesterol. The common adverse effects of beta-blocker are cold hands, fatigue; the less common, but serious adverse effects include the provocation of asthma, heart failure or conduction block. Beta-blockers are effective in only about 20 percent of patients over 60 years old in whom the thiazides (diuretics) are the drugs of choice

    * diuretics - such as thiazides (bendrofluazide), medicines usually given for high blood pressure or heart failure, often in combination with other antihypertensive agents, including beta-blockers; also known as water pills, diuretics increase blood triglycerides

    * Tamoxifen (Nolvadex), the number one recommended drug treatment for women recovering from breast cancer; however, with potential lethal side-effects; besides elevated blood triglycerides, tamoxifen has been associated with induced menopausal symtpoms, eye damage, blood clots, asthma, liver, uterine (endometrial), and gastrointestinal cancers

    * miconazole (intravenous) - an antifungal agent administered by intravenous infusion in the treatment of severe systemic fungal infections such as candidiasis

    * spironolactone - a drug for cirrhotic ascites (hepatic cirrhosis with ascites)

    * Accutane (a trade name of Isotretinoin) - a powerful drug used in the treatment of acne with several significant side effects, including increased blood fats - sometimes to risky levels; for this reason, all people need to have their blood checked for triglyceride levels before starting this medication and every 4 to 6 weeks while taking it

    * Quinapril (Accupril), an antihypertensive (blood pressure lowering agent) known as an ACE inhibitor with numerous side effects, including high triglyceride levels

    * Mirtazapine (Remeron), a newer antidepressant (it can cause increased blood levels of triglycerides to 500 mg/dL, or 5.6 mmol/L)

    * cancer – "The lipid profile in cancer patients is characterized by low low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, low high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and relatively high serum triglycerides." (Journal of Clinical Laboratory Research 2000; 30(3): 141-145)

    * early-onset of schizophrenia - dyslipidemia may be related to the more severe forms of schizophrenia or to a more prolonged exposure to antipsychotics; also a poor diet due to cognitive disorders may play a role, increasing the risk for the cardiovascular complications of higher serum triglyceride levels (Am J Psychiatry 161:176, January 2004)

    * HIV+, especially Next link will open in a new window: High triglycerides HIV connection protease inhibitors (PIs), such as Ritonavir, associated with fat redistribution, increased risk for atherosclerosis, diabetes and bone damage (osteonecrosis) due to lipid abnormalities (hypertriglyceridemia or hypercholesterolemia)

    * periodontal disease - a Japanese study indicates a relationship between elevated serum triglyceride level (> 149 mg/dl, or 1.7 mmol/L) and periodontal status (Community Dent Health 2004 Mar;21(1):32-6).

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