High triglyceride level can signal heart disease

Q. My son is 38 years old. A few months ago, he went out of town to have a physical before he applied for insurance. Everything was normal except for his triglyceride level, which was over 800. He went back two months later for a retest after watching his diet, and the level went down to 300.

My son is not overweight, but many of his uncles and cousins (on his father's side) had fatal heart attacks early in life. I am concerned that he is not under the care of a physician and, given his family history and his own high triglyceride level, I fear he may end up like many of the men on his father's side. He doesn't smoke and drinks socially (three to four beers or cocktails at a time).

Could you please print a reply to my letter so he can see how important it is to lower his triglyceride level and be under the care of a physician?

A. Certainly. A high triglyceride level is often an indicator of coronary-artery disease (CAD). This means that the arteries leading to and from the heart have a plaque buildup, causing them to become stiff and inefficient. This can be dangerous because blood clots form readily on the plaque, and, if they break off, can cause heart attack and stroke. Given your son's family history, this is especially worrisome.

The good news in this situation is that with diet, exercise and (possible) medication, your son can likely prevent further damage to his arteries and heart and drastically reduce his risk of serious consequences. He should be on a low-fat, low-sodium diet and exercise 20 to 30 minutes at least four times a week. He also needs to be under the care of a cardiologist who can test, diagnose and prescribe any necessary medications and follow up once or twice a year. He also needs a general practitioner who will be able to monitor any drugs your son may need and order appropriate testing between cardiologist visits.

While your son in still in good health, his triglyceride level is about 100 points higher than it should be.

Given his family history, a cardiologist would probably want his level as well as his cholesterol level to be lower than normal.

Copyright 2008, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.