Triglycerides test: normal range explained

A triglycerides test measures the amount of a fat called triglycerides in your blood. Your body makes them from extra calories and stores them in fat cells for energy, and they also come from foods such as butter and oils. Some triglycerides are needed for good health, and the test is usually part of a lipid profile.

Doctors order triglycerides, with cholesterol, to understand the risk of heart disease, stroke and other artery problems, and to follow treatment for high cholesterol or triglycerides. MedlinePlus suggests adults are tested every five years, men aged 45 to 65 and women aged 55 to 65 every one to two years, and people over 65 every year. High triglycerides usually cause no symptoms, so routine testing is how they are found.

Triglycerides are the value most affected by what happened in the hours before the sample.

• A recent meal, especially one rich in carbohydrate, sugar or fat, temporarily raises triglycerides, which is why labs ask for a 9 to 12 hour fast.
• Alcohol is converted to triglycerides in the liver and can keep the level high even after an overnight fast; Testing.com suggests avoiding it for at least 24 hours before the test.
• Some medicines, including beta blockers, corticosteroids, thiazide diuretics and some breast cancer and HIV medicines, can raise triglycerides. Tell your doctor what you take.
• Diabetes that is not well controlled, kidney disease, liver disease, thyroid disease and extra weight can raise the level, which your doctor considers.
• Inherited conditions can keep triglycerides high in a family, and the NHLBI notes a higher risk in people of South Asian ancestry living in the United States.
• Getting little exercise tends to raise triglycerides.