What Do High Triglycerides on Blood Tests Mean?

When you ingest food, your body converts any unneeded calories into triglycerides, a kind of fat. After the conversion, the body transports the triglycerides through your bloodstream to your fat cells, where they're stored for later use. When your body routinely does not use its extra calories, high levels of triglycerides are the result.

Identification

• Your doctor will check your triglyceride levels by requesting a lipid profile, a series of tests that check your risk factors for heart disease.

High Triglyceride Levels

• Your triglyceride levels are considered high once they reach the 200 mg/dL mark. If your levels measure above 500 mg/dL, your triglyceride level is considered very high.

Heart Health

• High levels of triglycerides may show that you're at higher risk of developing atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), stroke and heart disease.

Illness

• Elevated triglycerides may also be a result of uncontrolled type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, obesity and hypothyroidism.

Prevention/Solution

• You can lower triglyceride levels by exercising regularly (at least 30 minutes at a time and at least four times a week), cutting excess calories and eliminating sugar and other processed foods from your diet.

Medication

• If changing your lifestyle alone doesn't help, your doctor may prescribe cholesterol-lowering medications such as niacin and statins, which also lower triglycerides.