High
Triglycerides Indicate Risk for Heart Attack
A study in the medical
journal, "Circulation," compared: triglyceride levels, triglyceride to
HDL(so-called "good") cholesterol ratios, and LDL(so-called "bad") to HDL
cholesterol ratios. Two groups were used in the study: 340 men and
women who had had heart attacks and 340 men and women with no history of
heart disease. By far the most significant difference in the two
groups was in the triglyceride to HDL ratio. Individuals with
a high triglyceride to HDL ratio had 16 timesgreater risk of heart attack
than those with a low triglyceride to HDL ratio.
(Circulation,
October 1997; 112:629-639)
*
Comment:
Physicians
and clients often ask why the Health Equations Chem Profile does not test
LDL cholesterol. The LDL to HDL ratio is the standard for identifying
cardiovascular risk. This study shows that the triglyceride to HDL
ratio is a better indicator. Look at your Health Equations Score
Plot. If your Triglyceride Score is above 35, subtract your Good
Cholesterol Score from the Triglyceride Score. For example, if your
Triglyceride Score is plus 60 and your Good Cholesterol Score is minus
30, the difference is 90. If the difference between these two scores
is greater than 50, you have high insulin. Insulin increases triglycerides
and decreases good cholesterol. High insulin is associated with increased
risk for cardiovascular disease. Continue below with Carbohydrates
and Heart Disease.
Carbohydrates
and Heart Disease
A study conducted in Denmark
examined the relationship of the fasting serum insulin level to coronary
heart disease (CHD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in 40-year-old men
and women. The study concluded, "The fasting serum insulin level
is a very good predictor of the development of CHD and CVD disease...."
Journal
of Cardiovascular Risk, June 1995; 2(3): 235-240)
*
Comment:
Elevated insulin increases triglycerides and decreases (HDL) "good" cholesterol.
Insulin can be indirectly measured on the Health Equations Blood
Test Evaluation. See above: High Triglycerides
Indicate Risk for Heart Attack. All dietary carbohydrates, from
pasta, bagels, and whole grain bread to sugar, fruit and juice, increase
insulin. This increase in insulin is necessary so the carbohydrates
can be used by the cells. Excess dietary carbohydrates, however,
cause excessive increases in the insulin level. Since high levels
of insulin are associated with increased cardiovascular risk, a lower carbohydrate
diet will decrease cardiovascular risk if insulin levels are too high.
Eggs,
Butter and Cream
Low
concentrations of HDL in plasma are a strong predictor of risk for coronary
as well as other cardiovascular diseases. In controlled trials, low-fat,
high-carbohydrate diets decrease HDL concentrations. The effect is
strongest when carbohydrates replace saturated fatty acids. The effect
is seen in both short- and long-term trials and therefore appears to be
permanent.
Hirsch
J.,et al. "Effect of Low-fat Diets on Plasma High-density Lipoprotein Concentrations."
Am Soc Clin Nut. March 1998
*
Comment:
HDL is "good" cholesterol,
saturated fats are animal fats. Therefore, some cream and butter
is a better bet for your heart than a lot of pasta. Another way to
raise HDL cholesterol is eggs. "In Fitness and In Health"
by Philp Maffetone reports studies that show "eating whole eggs daily for
six weeks significantly raised the good HDL cholesterol."
RELATED LIT BITE: Questioning
the Evils of Salt
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