Cholesterol & Heart Health
What do high triglycerides mean?
The short answer
Triglycerides are a type of fat in your blood that your body uses for energy. A fasting level of 150 mg/dL or above is raised, and it usually reflects diet, alcohol, excess weight, inactivity or poorly controlled diabetes. High triglycerides add to heart disease risk, and very high levels, 500 mg/dL or above, raise the risk of pancreatitis.
What Triglycerides measures
Triglycerides are a type of fat in your blood that your body uses for energy (CDC). They come from food and are also made by the liver, and they travel in lipoproteins such as VLDL. Recent food, especially carbohydrates and sugar, raises them temporarily (testing.com).
They matter for two reasons: raised triglycerides add to heart risk, especially with low HDL or high LDL (CDC), and extremely high levels increase the risk of acute pancreatitis (MedlinePlus). Many lab reports also use triglycerides to calculate LDL and VLDL.
Triglycerides ranges
These bands come from the National Cholesterol Education Program's ATP III guideline (NIH), also used by MedlinePlus and testing.com.
| Result | Range |
|---|---|
| Normal (fasting) | Below 150 mg/dL |
| Borderline high | 150 to 199 mg/dL |
| High | 200 to 499 mg/dL |
| Very highRaises the risk of acute pancreatitis | 500 mg/dL or above |
| High on a non-fasting sample (testing.com) | Above 175 mg/dL |
The ATP III bands assume a 9 to 12 hour fast. Reference ranges vary between laboratories, and the range printed on your own report takes priority, including whether it assumes a fasting sample. Ranges vary between laboratories, and the range printed on your own report takes priority.
What a high triglyceride result means
A high result usually reflects eating, drinking and activity, along with weight and blood sugar control. It adds to heart disease risk, more so alongside low HDL or high LDL (CDC), and 150 mg/dL or more is one of the five features of the metabolic syndrome in ATP III.
At 500 mg/dL or above, ATP III makes lowering triglycerides to prevent pancreatitis the first priority. Because recent food and alcohol push triglycerides up (testing.com), a high result taken after eating is worth repeating fasting before drawing conclusions.
Common causes
- A diet high in sugar, refined carbohydrates and fat
- Regular or heavy alcohol use
- Overweight or obesity
- Too little physical activity
- Poorly controlled diabetes
- An underactive thyroid, kidney disease (including nephrotic syndrome) or liver disease
- Inherited conditions
- Certain medicines, including some diuretics, oestrogen and progestin, steroids and beta-blockers
What a low triglyceride result means
There is no guideline cut-off for a low triglyceride level, and a result below 100 mg/dL is not usually a concern on its own (testing.com). Very low levels are uncommon (MedlinePlus) and occasionally point to malnutrition, an overactive thyroid or malabsorption, so mention an unexpectedly low result to your doctor. Crash dieting or cutting carbohydrates just before a test can also lower the number temporarily.
What moves Triglycerides
Nutrition
Cut back on added sugar, refined carbohydrates and fatty food, which push triglycerides up (testing.com; MedlinePlus). If you carry excess weight, ATP III makes weight management a first-line step.
Training
Be physically active for at least 30 minutes every day (Cleveland Clinic). ATP III pairs more activity with weight management as core treatment for raised triglycerides.
Sleep and stress
Cleveland Clinic includes getting enough sleep and managing stress in its advice for lowering triglycerides.
Habits
Cut back on alcohol, a common cause of high triglycerides, and stop using tobacco (Cleveland Clinic). Poorly controlled diabetes raises triglycerides, so blood sugar control matters too (MedlinePlus).
How fast Triglycerides can change
Triglycerides are the lipid most affected by food, and they react quickly: crash dieting or cutting carbohydrates right before a test lowers them temporarily (testing.com). ATP III reviews lifestyle change after about 3 months, so a Day 90 re-test is a meaningful window for a sustained change, provided both tests are taken the same way: same fasting state, no alcohol in the previous 24 hours and no unusually heavy meal the night before.
Before your test
- Fasting matters more for triglycerides than for any other lipid, because recent food, especially carbohydrates and sugar, raises them temporarily (testing.com). Fasting results are judged against 150 mg/dL; testing.com uses 175 mg/dL for non-fasting samples.
- If you are asked to fast, it is usually for 9 to 12 hours (MedlinePlus). Keep each test the same, fasting or not.
- Avoid alcohol for at least 24 hours before the test, or 48 hours after heavy drinking (testing.com).
- Above 400 mg/dL, a calculated LDL on the same report becomes less reliable (testing.com).
When to speak to your doctor
Speak to your doctor about a result above the range on your report, especially 200 mg/dL or more, or alongside low HDL, high LDL or a raised HbA1c. A level of 500 mg/dL or above needs prompt medical review because of the risk of pancreatitis. Severe pain in the upper abdomen spreading to the back, with nausea or vomiting, needs urgent care: go to the emergency room or call emergency services.
On the Wolfburgh panel
Triglycerides is one of the 17 markers on the Wolfburgh blood panel. Your sample is collected at home with RedDrop One, an FDA-cleared collection device, and a licensed physician reviews every panel before your care team sees it.
The Nutritionist works on sugar, refined carbohydrates and alcohol, the Trainer on daily activity and the Behaviour Specialist on sleep, stress and drinking habits, while the Partner Physician reads triglycerides with HDL, HbA1c, VLDL and the triglyceride/HDL ratio. Triglycerides also feed the calculated LDL and VLDL, so a change here moves those numbers too. Members re-test at Day 90, backed by the 90-Day Results Guarantee.
Common questions about Triglycerides
What is a normal triglyceride level?
On a fasting test, the US ATP III guideline calls below 150 mg/dL normal, 150 to 199 mg/dL borderline high, 200 to 499 mg/dL high and 500 mg/dL or above very high. For non-fasting samples, testing.com puts the high threshold above 175 mg/dL. There is no guideline cut-off for low triglycerides. The range on your own lab report takes priority.
How can I lower my triglycerides?
Cut back on added sugar, refined carbohydrates and alcohol. Be active for at least 30 minutes a day, lose excess weight, stop tobacco and get enough sleep, as Cleveland Clinic advises. If you have diabetes, better blood sugar control helps too. Re-test the same way as before, after about 3 months of steady change.
Do I need to fast before a triglyceride test?
It depends on the lab. Recent food, especially carbohydrates and sugar, raises triglycerides temporarily, which is why MedlinePlus says you may need to fast for 9 to 12 hours. Some labs accept non-fasting samples and judge them against a higher cut-off, which testing.com gives as 175 mg/dL. Avoid alcohol for 24 hours beforehand, and keep each test the same.
Can high triglycerides cause pancreatitis?
Yes, at very high levels. MedlinePlus says extremely high triglycerides increase the risk of acute pancreatitis, and testing.com puts that risk above 500 mg/dL. ATP III makes lowering triglycerides the first priority at 500 mg/dL or above, to prevent pancreatitis. Mildly raised levels matter mainly for heart risk rather than pancreatitis.
Sources
- MedlinePlus (NIH). Triglycerides Test
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NIH). ATP III Guidelines At-A-Glance Quick Desk Reference
- testing.com. Triglycerides test
- testing.com. Lipid Panel
- Cleveland Clinic. Triglycerides
- CDC. About Cholesterol
This page is general information, not medical advice, and it does not replace a consultation with your own doctor. Never start, stop or change a medicine or supplement because of something you read here.
All 17 markers on the Wolfburgh panel
Cholesterol & Heart Health
- Total Cholesterol
- HDL Cholesterol
- LDL Cholesterol
- Triglycerides
- VLDL CholesterolCalculated
- LDL to HDL RatioCalculated
- Triglyceride to HDL RatioCalculated
- Total Cholesterol to HDL RatioCalculated
Blood Sugar
Inflammation
Iron
Liver Function
Proteins
Vitamins & Hormones
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