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Article: Roller-Coaster Triglyceride Levels are Par for the Course.(how to prepare for a blood cholesterol test)
- Article from:
- Environmental Nutrition
- Article date:
- September 1, 2001
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Belvoir Media Group, LLC. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Q. My triglyceride levels seem to vary a lot from one blood test to the next. Is this normal?
A. Yes. Triglycerides--the storage form of fat--are notoriously inconsistent. In contrast, total cholesterol and HDL's ("good" high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) are relatively stable.
Elevated triglycerides can be a risk factor for heart disease. But triglyceride levels are commonly ordered along with cholesterol levels because they are needed to calculate LDL's ("bad" low-density lipoprotein cholesterol), which are difficult to measure directly. Your LDL value is typically an "indirect" value calculated from your triglyceride level.
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