Triglycerides

Some triglycerides are important for good health. Your body uses them for energy. If you eat more calories than you need, your body turns the extra calories into triglycerides and stores them in your fat cells to use later. When your body needs energy, your cells release triglycerides into your bloodstream to provide fuel for your muscles to work.

But high triglyceride levels in your blood may affect your arteries and increase your risk of coronary artery disease, heart attack, and blood vessel disorders. Extremely high levels of triglycerides also increase the risk of acute pancreatitis in adults and children.

High blood triglycerides are very common and have many possible causes, including diabetes, kidney conditions like nephrotic syndrome, blocked bile flow from the liver, hormone (endocrine) disorders, and other conditions that affect how your body handles fats. Triglycerides are often looked at together with HDL ("good") cholesterol and total cholesterol to help estimate your risk of heart disease.

Triglycerides are usually measured in milligrams (mg) of triglycerides per deciliter (dL) of blood. Ask your provider to explain the commonly used guidelines for normal and higher levels of triglycerides in adults.

Guidelines for children and teens are different than adults. Ask your child's provider to explain what your child's test results mean.

Triglyceride levels that are higher than normal may mean you have a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, and other conditions that affect your arteries. Having high blood triglycerides also increases your risk of metabolic syndrome.

Triglyceride levels at or above 500 mg/dL are considered severely elevated and raise the risk of sudden inflammation of the pancreas (acute pancreatitis), which can be a medical emergency.

To lower your blood triglycerides, your provider may recommend lifestyle changes such as more physical activity, weight loss, cutting back on alcohol, and a lower-fat diet, and sometimes medicines that target triglycerides.