Difference Between the Triglycerides and Cholesterol

•Triglycerides are a fat that stores unused calories and are used for energy between meals
•Cholesterol is a fat that helps build cells and create certain hormones
•Both circulate through the blood with the help of lipoproteins (proteins that move lipids/fats)

High triglycerides are correlated with heart disease and stroke risk and are one part of metabolic syndrome—a collection of signs that mark a person as vulnerable to coronary disease and diabetes, among other ailments.

In other situations, high triglycerides can be an indicator that an existing type 2 diabetes is not being controlled well. Basically, although triglycerides do not have as direct an effect as cholesterol, they are a known marker that is tied to numerous other health complications.

What’s considered normal?

A simple blood test can reveal whether your triglycerides fall into a healthy range:

• Normal — Less than 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), or less than 1.7 millimoles per liter (mmol/L)
• Borderline high — 150 to 199 mg/dL (1.8 to 2.2 mmol/L)
• High — 200 to 499 mg/dL (2.3 to 5.6 mmol/L)
• Very high — 500 mg/dL or above (5.7 mmol/L or above)

A doctor will usually check his/her patient for high triglycerides as part of a cholesterol test, which is sometimes called a lipid panel or lipid profile. Patient will have to fast before blood can be drawn for an accurate triglyceride measurement.

Why do high triglycerides matter?

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.

High triglycerides can also be a sign of:

• Type 2 diabetes or pre diabetes
• Metabolic syndrome — a condition when high blood pressure, obesity and high blood sugar occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease
• Low levels of thyroid hormones (hypothyroidism)
• Certain rare genetic conditions that affect how your body converts fat to energy

Sometimes high triglycerides are a side effect of taking certain allopathic medications, such as:

• Diuretics
• Estrogen and progestin
• Retinoids
• Steroids
• Beta blockers
• H2 antagonists (anti allergic drugs)
• Some immunosuppressants
• Some HIV medications

Nature is the best way to lower triglycerides

Healthy lifestyle choices are key:

• Exercise regularly. Aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity on most or all days of the week. Regular exercise can lower triglycerides and boost “good” cholesterol. Try to incorporate more physical activity into your daily tasks — for example, climb the stairs at work or take a walk during breaks.
• Avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates, such as sugar and foods made with white flour or fructose, can increase triglycerides.
• Lose weight. If you have mild to moderate hypertriglyceridemia, focus on cutting calories. Extra calories are converted to triglycerides and stored as fat. Reducing your calories will reduce triglycerides.
• Choose healthier fats. Trade saturated fat found in meats for healthier fat found in plants, such as olive and canola oils. Instead of red meat, try fish high in omega-3 fatty acids — such as mackerel or salmon. Avoid trans fats or foods with hydrogenated oils or fats.
• Limit how much alcohol you drink. Alcohol is high in calories and sugar and has a particularly potent effect on triglycerides. If you have severe hypertriglyceridemia, avoid drinking any alcohol.

Allopathic medication to lower triglycerides

If healthy lifestyle changes aren’t enough to control high triglycerides, a doctor might recommend:

• Statins. These cholesterol-lowering medications may be recommended if you also have poor cholesterol numbers or a history of blocked arteries or diabetes. Examples of statins include atorvastatin calcium and rosuvastatin calcium.
• Fibrates. Fibrate medications, such as fenofibrate and gemfibrozil, can lower triglyceride levels. Fibrates aren’t used if patient have any kidney or liver disease.
• Fish oil. Also known as omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil can help lower triglycerides. Prescription fish oil preparations contain more-active fatty acids than many nonprescription supplements. Allopathically prepared fish oil, taken at high levels can interfere with blood clotting, so talk to the doctor before taking any supplements.
• Niacin. Niacin, sometimes called nicotinic acid, can lower triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol — the “bad” cholesterol. Consult to your doctor before taking over-the-counter niacin because it can interact with other allopathic and Homeopathic medications and cause significant side effects.

How to Lower Triglycerides Homeopathically

Homeopathy has a number of natural remedies that are of great help in lowering the high triglycerides levels in blood.

These medicines act in two ways, first – reducing the high triglyceride levels in blood and secondly, to dissolve the cholesterol deposits that have clung to the arterial walls and narrowed down their lumen. Symptoms like chest pain, palpitations and shortness of breath can also be effectively controlled by the use of Homoeopathic medicines.

The medicines that work best for the patient are always selected based on the individual symptoms.

1. Allium Sativum

Allium Sativum is considered a the best medicine for cholesterol triglyceride, and helps in eliminating the excess cholesterol from the body.

The high blood pressure due to cholesterol deposits can also be wonderfully treated with the help of Allium Sativum. The patients in whom high cholesterol is the result of excessive eating of meat with an increased appetite, especially a craving for meat. They also suffer from acidity and acrid burping or belching (GERD).

2. Aurum Metallicum

Aurum Metallicum is prepared from gold and is very beneficial for patients with high triglyceride levels. It is of great help in those cases of high triglyceride where the arteries have become hardened due to cholesterol deposits and where high blood pressure is present.

The patients has a rapid and irregular pulse with violent palpitations, patient may complain of pain behind the sternum, especially at night. The mental symptoms presented by the patient that hold a significance in selecting this are a depressed feeling, getting angry over the slightest contradiction and thoughts of committing suicide.

Anxious palpitation of the heart, from congestion to the chest, beatings of the heart, irregular, or by fits, sometimes with anguish and oppression of the chest. Pain in heart region extending down to left arm to fingers, floundering heart, when walking, the heart seems to shake as if it were loose, sensation as if the heart stood still.

3. Calcarea Carbonica

Calcarea Carbonica is the best natural remedy for reducing high triglycerides in fat or overweight patients. An unusual and excessive craving for boiled eggs is present in these patients. Excessive sensitivity to cold air and continuous perspiration on scalp are main symptoms.

This medicine is also of great help for patients who complain of tightness or oppression in chest or a feeling of suffocation that is intensified on going upstairs, excessive palpitations may also be complained of at night or after having meals, palpitation of the heart, also at night, or after a meal, sometimes with anxiety and trembling movements of the heart, obstructed breathing on stooping.

Oppression at the chest, as if from congestion of blood, with tension, mitigated by bringing shoulder-blades together, wheezing respiration, shortness of breath, chiefly on ascending.

Frequent emission of urine, even in the night, ace pale and hollow, with eyes sunk and surrounded by a livid circle, neuralgias and paralyses, hands trembling, numb, fingers often remained opened out stiff and could not be bent, contraction of fingers

4. Nux Vomica

Nux Vomica is the one of the best medicines for High triglycerides patients having an excessive craving for alcoholic drinks and fatty food. Mentally, such patients are very irritable and angry. They are also chronic sufferers of obstinate constipation, metrorrhagia (in high livers), and also menorrhagia. The pains are cramping and cause nausea and fainting; twisting, moving about in abdomen; soreness across pubes; cramps in bladder.

A dry, persistent fatiguing cough, headache as if the skull would split, great nervous debility (as from sexual or other excesses); trembling; excitement with trembling; paralysis.

Paralysis after apoplexy, parts cold, numb, emaciated, hemiplegia, locomotor ataxy. Hypochondriacal, peevish, morose (stubborn), thoughtful and sorrowful humour, palpitation of heart, heat and sweat, nausea, and vomiting, dilation of pupils, and oppression of heart.

After anger, chilliness alternating with heat, vomiting of bile and thirst, cloudiness of eyes, danger of falling, staggering, fainting, buzzing in ears, and loss of consciousness.

Eyes surrounded by a livid circle, and full of tears. Pressive and tensive pains in eyes.

5.  Crataegus Oxyacantha

Crataegus Oxyacantha is a natural medicine that acts as a tonic for heart muscles that have become weakened due to reduced blood supply to heart (angina pectoris) as a result of deposits of cholesterol in the arteries. This medicine acts very efficiently in strengthening these weak muscles and regularising the heart’s action. Crataegus Oxyacantha ranks as the top medicine for lowering triglyceride and dissolving the cholesterol deposits in arteries. The patients requiring this medicine complain of difficulty in breathing after even the slightest exertion.

6. Baryta Muriaticum

Baryta Muriaticum is the best natural medicine for elderly people who suffer from high triglycerides along with high cholesterol levels and where the arteries have become rigid with loss of normal elasticity.

The systolic pressure is always on the higher side in these patients. Baryta Muriaticum is a very beneficial remedy where the cholesterol plaques have deposited in the arteries, leading to heart and brain affections. Heaviness and vertigo consequent to the reduced blood supply to brain can be tackled well with this medicine.

7. Strophanthus Hispidus

Strophanthus Hispidus is an excellent natural medicine for reducing the extreme effects of triglycerides and high cholesterol levels in blood. It is very efficient and safe remedy which can be used in old age to tone up the weak heart muscles.

It also has the capacity to drain off the dropsical affections that have occurred from extreme effects on heart due to high cholesterol deposits. The heart affections that have resulted as a combined effect of tobacco smoking triglycerides and high cholesterol levels also come under this medicine. The other symptoms that guide towards the use of Strophanthus Hispidus are excessive palpitations, cardiac pain and breathlessness.