Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Are Triglycerides?What Should My Triglyceride Levels Be?Risk FactorsHealth Effects of High TriglyceridesTreatmentFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Are Triglycerides?
What Should My Triglyceride Levels Be?
Risk Factors
Health Effects of High Triglycerides
Treatment
Frequently Asked Questions
High triglycerides, especially when coupled with highlow-density lipoprotein (LDL)cholesterol (also known as “bad” cholesterol), might place you at risk for heart disease.
This article explains what triglycerides are, what a normal level is, and how the problem can be prevented.
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Triglycerides are a type of fat, or lipid, that accounts for the majority of fat in a diet. Triglycerides are important because they provide the body with the energy it needs to function on a daily basis. If you have an excess oftriglycerides, they will usually be stored as fat.
Triglycerides are either made in the liver or consumed in the diet and then absorbed into the body through the small intestine. But triglycerides never travel to their destination in the body alone. They attach to a protein and become a lipoprotein referred to as achylomicron,or avery low-density lipoprotein (VLDL).
These lipoproteins are not very dense, or heavy. Therefore, along with low-density lipoproteins, they run the risk of potentially contributing to heart disease. (By contrast,high-density lipoprotein (HDL)cholesterol is known as the “good” cholesterol. It’s so named because high HDL levels can lower the risk of heart disease and stroke.)
Elevated levels of triglycerides are a risk factor for heart disease. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine:
Why Your Cholesterol and Triglycerides Levels Are Important
There are primary and secondary causes ofhigh triglyceride levels, also known ashypertriglyceridemia. Primary causes include various genetic disorders that affect the metabolism of triglycerides and/or cholesterol. Secondary causes are usually due either to excessive fat in the diet or underlying conditions that include:
If any of these risk factors are present, your healthcare provider probably will recommend that you have alipid panelperformed more frequently (once every one or two years as opposed to once every five years). A lipid panel is a test that measures different types of fat in the blood. It’s also referred to as a cholesterol test.
10 Causes of High Triglycerides in Diabetes
High triglycerides may place you at increased risk for coronary heart disease, especially if you have high blood pressure or diabetes or you smoke.According to Harvard Health: “Research is now showing that high triglycerides are an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, no matter what the HDL is.”
Elevated triglyceride levels are also strongly associated with a number of conditions that clearly do increase cardiovascular risk, such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, elevated LDL levels, and obesity. This means that most people who have high triglycerides are at elevated risk for these conditions, too, and should take aggressive steps to reduce this risk.
In addition, very high triglyceride levels can producepancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas, which can be a dangerous condition.
RecapIt becomes more obvious as research piles up that high triglycerides are an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Elevated triglyceride levels are also strongly correlated with various conditions that clearly increase cardiovascular risk.
Recap
It becomes more obvious as research piles up that high triglycerides are an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Elevated triglyceride levels are also strongly correlated with various conditions that clearly increase cardiovascular risk.
Metabolic Syndrome Lurks
A high triglyceride level also can contribute tometabolic syndrome. This is not one but a group of risk factors for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Some people have only one risk factor from a list of five. But when at least three risk factors apply to you, you have metabolic syndrome:
Causes and Risk Factors of High Triglycerides
While the verdict is still out on whether high triglyceride levels alone can causeheart disease, it’s still important to restore it to a normal range.
High triglyceride levels are initially treated with a low-fat, low-carbohydrate diet and lifestyle modifications. When this does not work, your healthcare provider may prescribe medication to helplower your triglyceride levels.
In the meantime, the American Heart Association recommends the following steps to keep triglyceride levels low:
Foods to Avoid If You Have High Triglycerides
Summary
Triglycerides are a type of fat, or lipid, that accounts for the majority of fat in a diet. Elevated levels of triglycerides are a risk factor for heart disease. Plus, there are primary and secondary causes of high triglyceride levels, mostly in the form of other health conditions. It hasn’t been proven beyond all doubt that high triglyceride levels alone can cause heart disease, but you’re much better off playing it safe and keeping your levels within a normal range. Medication is an option, but the American Heart Association offers a set of sensible diet and lifestyle steps that you may wish to try first.
A Word From Verywell
It wasn’t that long ago that you couldn’t address cardiovascular risk and heart disease without mentioning LDL and HDL cholesterol levels. Now triglycerides have entered the mix, and many physicians say it’s about time. Until research fully validates the importance of triglycerides, heed the practical advice of Harvard Medical School: “Recent evidence suggests you should work to reduce triglyceride levels if they are higher than normal, especially if you have heart disease or have other risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure or smoking.”
Frequently Asked QuestionsA normal triglyceride level is below 150mg/dL. Triglycerides are a type dietary fat used to fuel the body. Excess triglycerides are stored as body fat. High blood levels of triglycerides are a risk factor for heart disease.Triglyceride levels above 500 mg/dL are extremely high. Elevated triglyceride levels are an independent risk factor for heart disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and obesity.Alcohol, refined grains, saturated fats, starchy foods, sugar, and trans fats are the main food components that raise triglyceride levels. Some foods and beverages that can cause elevated triglycerides include:Baked goodsBeerBread and bagelsButterCandyCorn syrupEgg yolksFast foodFull-fat dairyIce creamInstant riceJuiceLardLiquorLow-fiber cerealRed meatSodaShorteningSugarWhiskeyWine
A normal triglyceride level is below 150mg/dL. Triglycerides are a type dietary fat used to fuel the body. Excess triglycerides are stored as body fat. High blood levels of triglycerides are a risk factor for heart disease.
Triglyceride levels above 500 mg/dL are extremely high. Elevated triglyceride levels are an independent risk factor for heart disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and obesity.
Alcohol, refined grains, saturated fats, starchy foods, sugar, and trans fats are the main food components that raise triglyceride levels. Some foods and beverages that can cause elevated triglycerides include:Baked goodsBeerBread and bagelsButterCandyCorn syrupEgg yolksFast foodFull-fat dairyIce creamInstant riceJuiceLardLiquorLow-fiber cerealRed meatSodaShorteningSugarWhiskeyWine
Alcohol, refined grains, saturated fats, starchy foods, sugar, and trans fats are the main food components that raise triglyceride levels. Some foods and beverages that can cause elevated triglycerides include:
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ahmed S, Shah P, Ahmed O.Biochemistry, lipids. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.MedlinePlus.Triglycerides.Harvard Health Publishing. Harvard Medical School.Should you worry about high triglycerides?Medline Plus.Metabolic syndrome.American Heart Association.Prevention and treatment of high cholesterol (hyperlipidemia).
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ahmed S, Shah P, Ahmed O.Biochemistry, lipids. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.MedlinePlus.Triglycerides.Harvard Health Publishing. Harvard Medical School.Should you worry about high triglycerides?Medline Plus.Metabolic syndrome.American Heart Association.Prevention and treatment of high cholesterol (hyperlipidemia).
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Ahmed S, Shah P, Ahmed O.Biochemistry, lipids. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.MedlinePlus.Triglycerides.Harvard Health Publishing. Harvard Medical School.Should you worry about high triglycerides?Medline Plus.Metabolic syndrome.American Heart Association.Prevention and treatment of high cholesterol (hyperlipidemia).
Ahmed S, Shah P, Ahmed O.Biochemistry, lipids. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2024.
MedlinePlus.Triglycerides.
Harvard Health Publishing. Harvard Medical School.Should you worry about high triglycerides?
Medline Plus.Metabolic syndrome.
American Heart Association.Prevention and treatment of high cholesterol (hyperlipidemia).
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