How to Lower Your Triglycerides
Activity Level, Weight, and Lifestyle Changes
 

Activity Level
Regular aerobic exercise at moderate to high levels helps to lower triglycerides (TG), raise HDL and maintain body weight. Ideally, one should exercise 5-7 days per week for 30 minutes per day; or 60 minutes per day to achieve weight loss. Activity can be broken into segments throughout the day. Pedometers can help quantify activity level; gradually increase to a goal of 10,000 steps per day.

Weight
Excess weight can contribute to elevated TG. Losing 5-10 pounds can improve your TG. 3,500 calories = 1 pound weight gain or loss. Example: To lose 1 lb per week, reduce calories by 500 calories/day or eat 200 fewer calories and increase activity by 300 kcal/day.

Alcohol
Alcohol can raise TG. If your TG are very high (over 500 mg/dL) it is best to completely avoid alcohol. For mild to moderate increases in TG, it is recommended that women limit their alcohol intake to no more than 1 drink/day and no more than 3 drinks/week, men to no more than 2 drinks/day and no more than 5 drinks/week. According to the American Heart Association, the serving sizes of alcoholic beverages are:
● 5 ounces wine   ●  12 ounces of beer  ●  1.5 ounces alcohol

Smoking
Smoking cigarettes contributes to lower HDL (good cholesterol).
If you smoke, you should stop.

Examples of Moderate Physical Activity in Healthy Adults

• Brisk walking (3-4mph) for 30-40 minutes
• Swimming – laps for 20 minutes
• Bicycling for pleasure or transportation, 5 miles in 30 minutes
• Volleyball (noncompetitive) for 45 minutes
• Raking leaves for 30 minutes
• Moderate lawn mowing (push a powered mower) for 30 minutes
• Home care – heavy cleaning
• Basketball for 15-20 minutes
• Golf – pulling a cart or carrying clubs
• Social dancing for 30 minutes

 
Medications Used to Lower TG and Raise HDL Cholesterol

Your health care provider may prescribe one or more medication(s) to treat high triglycerides or low HDL

Fibrates
• By prescription:
o      Fenofibrates, gemfibrozil
• Primary action is to lower TG, can also increase HDL
Niacin
• By prescription: Niaspan
• Over the counter (vitamin B3)
• Raises HDL and lowers TG
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
• By prescription: Lovaza
• Over the counter (fish oil capsules)
• Primary action is to lower TG, can also increase HDL

Taking Niacin can result in flushing of the skin (a warm prickly feeling). This side effect is not dangerous but can be uncomfortable.

• Always take Niacin/Niaspan with food
• Avoid hot beverages, foods spiced with hot chili pepper, or alcohol
• Take an aspirin 30 minutes before taking Niacin/Niaspan
• Take prescription Niaspan at bedtime; if you flush, you will usually sleep through it
• Prescription Niaspan is less likely to cause flushing than over the counter products which need to be taken 2-3 times daily.
Taking fish oil capsules can cause some stomach upset as well as gas or belching with a fish taste. These symptoms can be minimized by refrigerating or freezing your fish oil capsules or purchase coated capsules. Always take fish oil capsules with meals. When purchasing fish oil capsules over the counter, add up the active ingredients DHA and EPA to get the dose recommended by your health care provider (usually 2-4 grams/day to lower triglycerides).

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