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Risks of High Triglycerides & Estrogen Pills Combined

Estrogen and various lipids (fats) in the body are closely related. The risks of high triglycerides and estrogen pills combined are an increased chance of coronary heart disease, hyperlipidemia, metabolic disorder, and cardiovascular disease in general. While estrogen helps with the levels of the good and bad cholesterol, it also boosts the amount of triglycerides, and this is hazardous to ones health.

  1. Coronary Heart Disease

    • As reported in the 2003 study, "An Observational Study of Hypertriglyceridemic Acute Pancreatitis, Severe Hypertriglyceridemia, and Failure of Triglyceride-Lowering Therapy When Estrogens are Provided to Women With and Without Familial Hypertriglyceridemia" done by the Jewish Hospital Health Alliance in Cincinnati, Ohio, stated that estrogen pills, when used as part of HT (hormone treatment), are contraindicated in women trying to lower their level of triglycerides. A woman with a triglyceride level of 500 mg/dl should not take estrogen pills. Women with levels of 300 should first normalize their triglycerides before starting HT. The study found that the risks of high triglycerides and estrogen pills combined were an increased danger of stroke and cardiovascular disease. Another study, "Estrogens, Lipids and Cardiovascular Disease: No Easy Answers," published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, found the same sort of results, and that estrogen helps to boost the good cholesterol (HDL: high density lipoprotein).

    Hyperlipidemia

    • Hyperlipidemia is a disease that causes an increase in the level of fats (lipids) in the bloodstream; these include such compounds as cholesterol and triglycerides. The International Society of Nephrology published a study ("Estrogen Effects on Triglyceride Metabolism in Analbuminemic Rats") of the impact of estrogen on Nagase analbuminemic rats (NAR). The study found that estrogen helped increase the level of HDL and lower LDL cholesterol, but it also increased the level of triglycerides. Part of the study looked at the risks of high triglycerides and estrogen pills combined, and found that rats predisposed to hyperlipidemia could be in a life threatening situation, if they were given estrogen. The study concluded that the same could be true for women in a similar situation.

    Metabolic Syndrome

    • According to the Lipid Clinic website, metabolic syndrome is a collection of risk factors that contribute to an increased danger of cardiovascular diseases. One of these factors is a high level of triglycerides, and estrogen pills can boost that level. You should consult with your physician if you're taking estrogen pills, and if you have some of the other risk factors associated with the syndrome, such as obesity, physical inactivity, a high fat diet, high LDL and low HDL levels.

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