Physorg -- It can make blood look like cream of tomato soup. Patients with high levels of triglycerides in their blood, a disease called hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) face an increased risk for heart disease and stroke. HTG affects one in 20 people in North America and is also associated with obesity, diabetes and pancreatitis. Most people now understand the importance of LDL, the bad cholesterol and HDL, the good cholesterol, to their overall health. But high triglycerides are like the Rodney Dangerfield of the lipid world: they get less respect and notoriety compared to their cholesterol cousins. Doctors are often uncertain about how best to treat patients with this condition. Understanding the genes that make patients susceptible to HTG could provide clues to newer, better treatments.
