What are high triglycerides?
Your body stores triglycerides for later use as energy. When you have too much fat, it can build up on the walls of your blood vessels and lead to heart disease. Why are lipids dangerous? • Blood brings needed oxygen to your heart. • When blood vessels, like arteries, get blocked by lipids, it is hard for blood to move through the blood vessels. • If an artery in the heart gets completely blocked, then your heart does not get the oxygen it needs. Am I at risk for heart disease? Along with high lipid levels, there are many other risk factors for heart disease. As the chart shows, many of these risk factors can be controlled. My Numbers—Ask About Each One From the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. • Total cholesterol is the amount of all cholesterol in your blood. The higher the number, the greater your risk for heart disease. Your doctor may want you to lower this number. • LDL cholesterol is the “bad cholesterol” that sticks to your blood vessels and blocks blood flow. Your do
