Triglycerides: What High Levels Mean and How to Lower Them

What triglycerides are

Triglycerides are the most common type of fat in your body. They come from food — especially butter, oils and other fats — and from extra calories your body doesn't need right away. Your body turns those calories into triglycerides and stores them in fat cells, releasing them when it needs energy. VLDL cholesterol particles carry them to your tissues.

A high triglyceride level can raise your risk of heart disease, such as coronary artery disease.

What raises them

• regularly eating more calories than you burn, especially lots of sugar
• overweight or obesity
• cigarette smoking
• excessive alcohol
• certain medicines
• some genetic disorders
• thyroid diseases
• poorly controlled type 2 diabetes
• liver or kidney disease

Testing

A blood test measures triglycerides along with cholesterol, in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL):

Levels above 150 mg/dL may raise your risk of heart disease, and are also a risk factor for metabolic syndrome.

Lowering them

Lifestyle changes may be enough:

• controlling your weight
• regular physical activity
• not smoking
• limiting sugar and refined foods
• limiting alcohol
• switching from saturated fats to healthier fats

Some people also need cholesterol medicines.

Sources

Based on "Triglycerides," MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine; a work of the United States government in the public domain.