disease. For those who still want more information, visit the Egg
Nutrition Center’s website at http://www.incredibleegg.org.
Triglycerides
Another fat that’s just as important to measure is triglycerides. High
triglycerides can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Some
studies show that the increase in heart disease risk from elevated
triglycerides may rival that of LDL cholesterol.
Triglycerides include the fats converted from carbohydrates you
have eaten. Normally, 40 percent or more of carbohydrates are con-
verted to fat. Some of these triglycerides end up stored as plaque on
your artery walls. Many people focus on eliminating saturated fat
and are unaware that eating too many carbohydrates is also associat-
ed with a higher risk for heart disease.
Triglycerides, like LDL cholesterol, must be measured in the fast-
ing state for accuracy. Levels ideally should be under 100 mg/dl,
though 150 is considered normal by most labs. If your triglyceride
level is above 100, and especially 150, there’s a good chance you’re
carbohydrate intolerant and need to cut back on eating these types of
foods, especially those made with refined flour and highly processed
sugars. Those with very high triglycerides often will see a dramatic
reduction, sometimes to normal, after a successful Two-Week Test.
Hypertension
One factor associated with cardiovascular disease is high blood pres-
sure, or hypertension. It’s not only a risk factor for heart disease, but
overall mortality. Hypertension is generally defined as blood pres-
sures above about 140/90 (the first number is the systolic pressure,
and the second diastolic as measured in millimeters of mercury or
mm Hg).
Intense marketing of hypertension drugs, corresponding with
newer definitions of hypertension, have resulted in more people
being medicated, and even those with normal blood pressure being
told they are in a pre-hypertensive state. Indeed, doctors are now
reading in medical journals that cardiovascular risk begins with
blood pressures as low as 115/75, and that the blood pressure classi-
THE BIG PICTURE OF HEART DISEASE • 321