TUESDAY, July 17 (HealthDay News) -- In findings that could change the way cholesterol tests are done, two studies show that high blood levels of the fats called triglycerides are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular problems such as heart attack.
But that holds true only if the triglycerides are measured in the hours immediately after a meal.
The studies, one done in Denmark, the other in the United States, found such a relationship in what are called "nonfasting tests." One study found no relationship when blood fat levels were measured in the usual way -- after a 12- to 14-hour fast.
The nonfasting test results were striking, said Dr. Borge G. Nordestgaard, professor of medicine at Herlev University Hospital in Denmark and lead author of one of the two reports in the July 18 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
"The main and most important finding is that people with very high triglyceride levels had a major increase in myocardial infarct [heart attack]," Nordestgaard said. "So far, this has mainly been ignored by clinicians. They have focused on cholesterol." ...more
Wednesday, August 8
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