Cholesterol and triglyceride problems are among the most common health problems in the Arab world, especially the Gulf countries and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, due to wrong eating habits, an unhealthy lifestyle, and lack of physical activity. If you think that you suffer from this problem and are wondering about Symptoms of high triglycerides and cholesterol In the blood and how to discover it.. Follow this article with us.

What are triglycerides and cholesterol?

Triglycerides and cholesterol are two different types of fats in the body. Triglycerides store excess calories in the body and provide the body with energy. Cholesterol is responsible for building cells and secreting certain hormones.

Triglyceride levels should remain at normal levels, as they indicate heart health. As for cholesterol, there are two types of it: HDL good cholesterol and harmful LDL cholesterolIt is the high harmful type that contributes to the accumulation of fats on the walls of the arteries, causing narrowing of the arteries. As for the high good cholesterol, it works to carry the harmful cholesterol and remove it from the body, thus protecting against heart disease.

High harmful cholesterol is always accompanied by a rise in triglycerides as well, causing various diseases such as heart attack and stroke.

Symptoms of high triglycerides and cholesterol

Mostly, there are no clear symptoms confirming high cholesterol and triglycerides, unless other related problems such as a heart attack appear, and symptoms include chest pain, nausea and extreme fatigue.

Therefore, the only way to detect high triglycerides and cholesterol is to do a blood test, which you should ask your doctor about if you have one of the risk factors that can lead to high cholesterol and triglycerides.

Causes and risk factors for high cholesterol and triglycerides

If you have one of these factors, you should not wait for the symptoms of high triglycerides and cholesterol to appear, but you should follow up regularly with your doctor and do tests to follow up the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood. These factors are:

Diagnosis of high triglycerides and cholesterol

With no symptoms of high triglycerides and cholesterol and with the presence of one of the risk factors that we mentioned, you must do a fasting blood test (refrain from eating any food or drinks for 9-12 hours before the analysis), and the results come at these rates:

Triglyceride analysis results

• Normal range: less than 150 mg/dL.
• Rising range: 150 to 199 mg/dL.
• High: 200 to 499 mg/dL.
• Very high: 500 mg/dL or higher.

LDL cholesterol results

• Normal range: less than 200 mg/dL.
• Rising range: 200 to 239 mg/dL.
• High: 240 mg/dL or higher.

These analyzes must be done every 4-6 years for adults, or in the case of children and adolescents, they must be done at least once between the ages of 9-11 years, and at least once between the ages of 17-21 years. Doctors also advise doing this analysis as well. Immediately after changing your diet or after taking medications for high cholesterol and triglycerides.

Complications and significance of elevated triglycerides and cholesterol

As we mentioned before, the symptoms of high triglycerides and cholesterol do not appear until after complications related to this rise appear, or in the event of another disease indicated by this rise. These complications are represented in the accumulation of fat in the arteries, which prevents blood flow normally, causing:

High triglycerides and cholesterol may indicate the presence of some diseases in the body, such as:

Treatment of high triglycerides and cholesterol

There is a lot you can do to lower bad cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, the most important and easiest of which is to follow a healthy lifestyle that includes:

• Doing more physical activities such as exercise.
• Losing weight by following a diet depends on reducing the calories you eat daily.
• Eat healthy fats in moderation (found in fish, nuts, and olive oil) and avoid unhealthy fats (found in butter, cheese, and meat).
• Avoid consuming alcoholic beverages.

Medicines and supplements to treat high triglycerides and cholesterol

• fiber supplements.
• Fish oil capsules – omega 3.
• Niacin supplementation, which can lower triglycerides by 50%.
• Statins, which also reduce the risk of heart disease, such as atorvastatin.
• PCSK9 inhibitors, which are primarily used to prevent heart attacks and strokes, have also been found to reduce blood cholesterol.

Before taking any of these medications, you should tell your doctor about any medications you are taking in general, as they may be the cause of your high cholesterol or triglycerides.

Finally after knowing that Symptoms of high triglycerides and cholesterol In the blood, it cannot appear easily except after the occurrence of complications that indicate this problem. We advise you, if you have any of the risk factors that we mentioned, to go to the doctor to perform the necessary examinations and follow up on your condition regularly.