In the indicators for checking blood lipids, including cholesterol and triglycerides, which of the two indicators is more harmful to the human body?
This edition of the special popular science author and deputy chief pharmacist of Anshan Central Hospital, Liaoning Province, Zeng Weihua, said that compared with the two, cholesterol is the cause of atherosclerosis. It is the main cause of sclerosis, which in turn induces coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction and other diseases, so its elevation is more dangerous than triglyceride elevation.
How low is “low density” cholesterol to be normal
There are 4 main indicators in the blood lipid test, namely total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). In clinical treatment, the most worthy of attention is low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides.
Traditionally, the level of total cholesterol is associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease. But there is now a view that using total cholesterol levels to measure lipid risk is inaccurate. Because in total cholesterol, including low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Among them, “low density” is bad cholesterol, which is the main component that constitutes the core of atherosclerotic plaque; and “high density” is good cholesterol, which can transport cholesterol from blood vessels back to the liver for decomposition.
So when measuring blood lipid risk, we mainly look at the level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
So, what is the normal range for LDL cholesterol? The first thing to note here is that the normal value of this indicator cannot be completely based on the reference range on the test sheet. After many people get the test sheet, they only check whether there is an “arrow” on it and whether it exceeds the standard range. Don’t forget, this range is only suitable for healthy people’s reference, not for those with cardiovascular disease risk factors (high blood pressure, Diabetes, men over 45 years old, women over 55 years old, smoking, family history of premature cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, etc.).
Specifically, the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level can be divided into the following three situations.
1. Healthy people should be lower than 3.31mmol/L.
2. The high-risk group should be lower than 2.6mmol/L. High-risk groups are defined as those with diabetes, or with hypertension and one of the aforementioned cardiovascular disease risk factors, or with untreated LDL cholesterol levels above 4.9 mmol/L.
3. The very high risk group should be lower than 1.8mmol/L. Very high risk group refers to those who have suffered myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction, coronary heart disease, carotid artery stenosis more than 50% and other diseases; or have both diabetes and hypertension; or have diabetes and one of the above cardiovascular disease risk factors; Or have 3 or more risk factors at the same time.
Elevated triglyceride to prevent pancreatitis
In general, the normal value of triglyceride is below 1.7mmol/L, and between 1.7-2.25 mmol/L is marginally elevated, more than 2.25 mmol/L is elevated, and more than 5.6 mmol/L is severely elevated.
Elevated triglycerides also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, but less so than elevated cholesterol. However, elevated triglycerides can easily induce another disease – pancreatitis. Severe pancreatitis is life-threatening, and attention should also be paid to the sudden increase of this indicator.
Triglyceride levels in the human body are highly dependent on diet, and if you consume too much fat before a blood test, it may lead to a significant increase in triglyceride levels. But elevated triglycerides decline over time, sometimes more than doubling over the course of a day.
Therefore, the first thing for people with elevated triglycerides is to control their diet, strictly abstain from alcohol, and do not eat fried and fatty foods.
Medication after lifestyle interventions are ineffective
Different medication regimens for abnormal cholesterol and triglycerides.
Statins are mainly used to lower cholesterol. The standard of medication for healthy people is that the level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol exceeds 4.9mmol/L. For healthy people below this standard, they can control their diet and increase physical activity. Make adjustments. People with risk factors for cardiovascular disease should actively reduce LDL cholesterol to 1.8mmol/L, or even 1.4mmol/L. Existing research shows that lower LDL cholesterol levels may have a better protective effect on the cardiovascular system.
Fibrates are mainly used to lower triglycerides. Generally speaking, when triglyceride does not exceed 5.65mmol/L, medication is not recommended, and it can be adjusted through lifestyle interventions such as diet control and increased exercise. Consider medication if there is no improvement after 3 months of life intervention.
In short, elevated cholesterol is the main factor causing cardiovascular disease, and its harm is greater than that of elevated triglycerides. Different populations have different requirements for LDL cholesterol levels, and patients need to decide whether to take medicines and which medicines to choose under the guidance of doctors.
Photo provided: Visual China