Triglycerides blood test
In short
A typical adult triglycerides result is under 150 mg/dL (fasting). Mild rises are common and often come from a recent meal, alcohol or high blood sugar. Levels of 500 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L) or more raise the risk of pancreatitis, a painful inflamed pancreas. Always read your result against the range printed on your own report.
The main type of fat carried in the blood.
Triglycerides store spare energy from food, and the liver makes more from sugar, starch and alcohol. Levels jump for hours after a meal, so the test is often done fasting. High levels add to heart risk, and very high levels can inflame the pancreas, a gland behind the stomach.
Is my Triglycerides high or low?
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Typical range
| For | Range | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Adults · fasting | under 150 | mg/dL |
| Adults · fasting | under 1.7 | mmol/L |
Typical ranges for adults. Labs differ a little, so the range printed next to your result is the one to go by.
If your Triglycerides is high
Mild rises are common and often come from a recent meal, alcohol or high blood sugar. Levels of 500 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L) or more raise the risk of pancreatitis, a painful inflamed pancreas.
Common reasons
- Eating within about 12 hours before the test
- Alcohol in the day before the test
- Extra body weight, high blood sugar or type 2 diabetes
- Foods high in sugar and refined starch, or little activity
- An underactive thyroid or kidney disease
- Some medicines, including steroid medicines, water pills (diuretics) and hormone therapy
- Less often: an inherited condition that causes very high levels
If your Triglycerides is low
Low triglycerides are rarely a concern and usually reflect diet or activity.
Common reasons
- A low-fat diet, weight loss or regular exercise
- Some cholesterol medicines
- An overactive thyroid
- Less often: poor absorption of food or not eating enough
What can throw it off
Food within 12 hours or alcohol in the day before the test can raise triglycerides sharply.
Questions to take to your appointment
- 1Was I fasting long enough, or should it be repeated fasting?
- 2Could my blood sugar or alcohol explain it?
- 3Does this change my overall heart risk?
Read together with
Doctors rarely read Triglycerides alone. These usually sit next to it.
- HDL cholesterolThe 'good' cholesterol that carries extra cholesterol back to the liver.
- VLDL cholesterolCholesterol carried in the particles that mainly carry triglycerides.
- Non-HDL cholesterolAll the 'bad' cholesterol together: total cholesterol minus HDL.
- GlucoseThe sugar in your blood, your body's main fuel.
- HbA1cYour average blood sugar over the past two to three months.
Quick answers
What is the triglycerides blood test?
Triglycerides: The main type of fat carried in the blood. Triglycerides store spare energy from food, and the liver makes more from sugar, starch and alcohol. Levels jump for hours after a meal, so the test is often done fasting. High levels add to heart risk, and very high levels can inflame the pancreas, a gland behind the stomach.
What is a normal triglycerides level?
For most adults, triglycerides is typically under 150 mg/dL (fasting). Some countries print it in mmol/L, so check the unit first. Labs differ a little, so the range printed next to your result is the one to go by.
What does a high triglycerides mean?
Mild rises are common and often come from a recent meal, alcohol or high blood sugar. Levels of 500 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L) or more raise the risk of pancreatitis, a painful inflamed pancreas. Common reasons include eating within about 12 hours before the test; alcohol in the day before the test; extra body weight, high blood sugar or type 2 diabetes; and foods high in sugar and refined starch, or little activity. A doctor reads it together with your other results and how you feel.
What does a low triglycerides mean?
Low triglycerides are rarely a concern and usually reflect diet or activity. Common reasons include a low-fat diet, weight loss or regular exercise; some cholesterol medicines; an overactive thyroid; and less often: poor absorption of food or not eating enough.
What can affect my triglycerides result?
Food within 12 hours or alcohol in the day before the test can raise triglycerides sharply.
What should I ask my doctor about my triglycerides?
Questions worth taking to the appointment: Was I fasting long enough, or should it be repeated fasting? Could my blood sugar or alcohol explain it? Does this change my overall heart risk?
What this page can’t do
It reads each number on its own.
Doctors read results together — ALT with AST, ferritin with hemoglobin, TSH with free T4. A pattern says more than any single flag.
It doesn't know you.
Your age, your medicines, how you feel and your last result all change what a number means.
It doesn't remember.
Close this page and your results are gone. That's on purpose: nothing was ever sent to us.
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