What other fats in the blood are important to heart health?
High blood levels of fats known as triglycerides--which contribute to atherosclerosis--also are a risk factor for coronary heart disease. Like cholesterol, triglycerides are obtained from food and produced in the liver, and they are transported in the blood by lipoproteins, mostly VLDL.
High triglyceride levels pose a risk partly because elevations in triglycerides are commonly associated with low HDL cholesterol levels. However, research over the past decade indicates that elevated triglyceride levels are also an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease, although how they increase the risk isn't quite clear. One possible explanation is that elevations in blood triglycerides alter the size, density, and composition of LDL--changes that may promote atherosclerosis.
High triglyceride levels pose a risk partly because elevations in triglycerides are commonly associated with low HDL cholesterol levels. However, research over the past decade indicates that elevated triglyceride levels are also an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease, although how they increase the risk isn't quite clear. One possible explanation is that elevations in blood triglycerides alter the size, density, and composition of LDL--changes that may promote atherosclerosis.
