Heart Health

When should you worry about chest pains or irregular heartbeats? Find out those answers and more—straight from the doctor.

Question: My triglycerides are high. Why do I need to lower them? And what lifestyle changes will help me do that?

Answer: High triglycerides can be caused by several things, including diabetes that is not controlled, hypothyroidism (your thyroid gland is working at a lower than normal level), excessive alcohol use and obesity. There are good reasons to pay attention to your triglycerides number and lower it if the number is high. High triglycerides are linked to heart disease. Very high triglycerides can trigger pancreatitis (inflammation of your pancreas). You can lower your triglycerides by losing weight, consuming less alcohol, exercising most days, eating a low carb diet, taking a high dose of fish oil (around 4,000 mg daily), and eating about 500 calories a day from peanuts or peanut butter. However, sometimes lifestyle changes aren’t enough, and you may also need to take medicine.