Did The Percentage Of Adults With Elevated Triglyceride Change Between 20012004 And 20092012
A decreasing trend was observed in the percentage of adults with elevated triglyceride, from 33.3% during 20012004 to 25.1% during 20092012 . Declines in elevated triglyceride were observed both in men, from 37.3% during 20012004 to 28.7% during 20092012, and in women, from 29.3% during 20012004 to 21.5% during 20092012.
Figure 2. Age-adjusted percentage of adults aged 20 and over with elevated triglyceride, by sex: United States, 20012012
1Significant decreasing trend, p< 0.001. NOTE: Elevated triglyceride is a triglyceride level greater than or equal to 150 mg/dL. SOURCE: CDC/NCHS, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 20012012.
What Abnormal Results Mean
High triglyceride levels may be due to:
- Other medicines, such as female hormones
- Poorly controlled diabetes
- Disorder passed down through families in which there are high amounts of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood
Overall, the treatment of elevated triglyceride levels focuses on increased exercise and changes in the diet. Drugs to lower triglyceride levels may be used to prevent pancreatitis for levels above 500 mg/dL.
Low triglyceride levels may be due to:
Pregnancy can affect test results.
Which Medicines Can Lower Triglycerides
For some people, good habits may not be enough. Medication might be needed. The decision for you and your doctor can be complicated because other health conditions are usually involved. Several types of medicine can improve levels. They include:
- High doses of omega-3s are needed to lower triglycerides and should be taken only under a doctor’s care. Epanova, Lovaza, and Vascepa are prescription forms of omega-3s.
Your doctor may also prescribe a class of drugs called âstatinsâ that lower cholesterol. Examples include: atorvastatin , rosuvastatin , and simvastatin .
You may feel side effects from these drugs. Be sure to talk it over with your doctor or pharmacist.
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Understand Your Cholesterol Test Results
Use this page to understand your cholesterol and triglyceride results and see if they are in the healthy range.
When you have a cholesterol test, ask your healthcare professional to explain the results, so you dont have any unnecessary worry or confusion.
Its not just your total cholesterol thats important, so your results will include different types of cholesterol. If you are only given your total cholesterol, ask for a break-down of the other numbers its possible to have a healthy total cholesterol number but an unhealthy balance of the different types of cholesterol.
Ask for a print out of your results if you are not able to speak to your GP, nurse or pharmacist.
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How Do I Prepare For The Test
You may need to not eat or drink anything but water for 12 to 14 hours before this test. In addition, be sure your healthcare provider knows about all medicines, herbs, vitamins, and supplements you are taking. This includes medicines that don’t need a prescription and any illicit drugs you may use.
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Why The Test Is Performed
Triglycerides are usually measured together with other blood fats. Often it is done to help determine your risk of developing heart disease. A high triglyceride level may lead to atherosclerosis, which increases your risk for heart attack and stroke.
A very high triglyceride level may also cause swelling of your pancreas .
Data Sources And Methods
Results presented in this report are based on data from three NHANES survey periods: 20012004 , 20052008 , and 20112012 . These cross-sectional surveys are designed to monitor the health and nutritional status of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population . Each survey consists of interviews conducted in participants homes and standardized physical examinations in a mobile examination center , including laboratory tests. One-half of MEC examination participants aged 12 and over were randomly assigned to the morning session and instructed to fast for at least 8 hours prior to venipuncture. The percentage with elevated triglyceride is based on adults examined in the morning and fasting for at least 8.5 hours but no more than 23 hours prior to venipuncture. Adults with data on triglyceride totaled 4,115 for NHANES 20012004, 4,306 for NHANES 20052008, and 4,881 for NHANES 20092012.
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How Often Should I Get My Cholesterol Checked
Your provider will tell you how often you need your cholesterol checked. It depends on your:
- Age: The older you get, the more often you need to have your numbers checked.
- Family history: If you have a close biological family member with a history of heart disease, you face a higher risk of heart problems, too. You may need cholesterol tests more often if your family member has high cholesterol or a history of heart attack or stroke.
- Risk factors for heart disease: If youve been diagnosed with heart disease or have risk factors, youll need cholesterol tests more often.
- Sex assigned at birth: People assigned male at birth need more frequent tests starting at a younger age compared with people assigned female at birth.
Children and teens age 19 and younger should get their first test between ages 9 and 11. Then, they should receive a test every five years. Your childs provider may recommend starting at a younger age based on family history.
Here are general guidelines for adults based on sex and age.
People assigned male at birth
| Age |
|---|
| Every year. |
How To Lower Triglycerides Naturally
Triglycerides can be lowered without drugs. For example, they can be lowered naturally through diet changes, decreasing consumption of alcohol or sugary beverages, by increasing physical activity, by losing weight, and other ways. As little as 5% to 10% reduction in body weight may lower triglycerides. The table below summarizes how much benefit different changes can effect.
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How Are Triglycerides Different From Cholesterol
Triglycerides and cholesterol are both fatty substances called lipids. But triglycerides are fats cholesterol is not. Cholesterol is a waxy, odorless substance made by the liver. It is used to build cell walls, helps the nervous system and plays an important role in digestion and hormone production.
What Raises Triglyceride Levels
Saturated and Trans Fats. Saturated fats, found in red meats and whole-fat dairy products, and trans fats, found in deep-fried foods and many store-bought snacks, can raise triglyceride levels.
What is the normal level for triglycerides in an adult?
Normal triglyceride levels in the blood are less than 150mg per deciliter . Borderline levels are between 150-200 mg/dL. High levels of triglycerides are associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis and therefore coronary artery disease and stroke.
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When To Contact A Doctor
While high triglyceride levels typically do not cause symptoms, anyone concerned they may have high triglyceride or cholesterol levels should contact their doctor.
A doctor would usually measure triglyceride and cholesterol levels at the same time as high levels of either may contribute to heart conditions.
Doctors may recommend drug therapies in some cases. This may happen if a person has dangerously high triglyceride levels that need to come down quickly or if their levels do not respond to lifestyle and dietary changes.
I Just Learned I Have High Cholesterol Now What
You may feel upset to learn you have high cholesterol. But now that you know about it, you can take action to lower your numbers.
Follow your providers guidance on how to lower your cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease. Some general tips include:
- Add more exercise to your daily routine.
- Avoid smoking and all tobacco products.
- Keep a weight thats healthy for you.
- Learn how food impacts your cholesterol, and start with small changes to your diet.
- Learn new strategies for dealing with stress.
- Take your medications as prescribed.
Most of all, dont blame yourself. High cholesterol is a common condition that can be hard to control through lifestyle choices alone. And many factors beyond our control limit the choices we can make.
Be kind to yourself, and remember that your cholesterol numbers dont define you as a person. They simply give you a window into whats happening inside your body. Your provider will help you use that information to plan your treatment and keep your arteries healthy for a long time to come.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 07/28/2022.
References
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What Do My Test Results Mean
Test results may vary depending on your age, gender, health history, the method used for the test, and other things. Your test results may not mean you have a problem. Ask your healthcare provider what your test results mean for you.
Results are given in milligrams per deciliter . Here are the ranges for total cholesterol in adults:
- Normal: Less than 200 mg/dL
- Borderline high: 200 to 239 mg/dL
- High: At or above 240 mg/dL
These are the adult ranges for LDL cholesterol:
- Optimal: Less than 100 mg/dL
- Near optimal: 100 to 129 mg/dL
- Borderline high: 130 to 159 mg/dL
- High: 160 to 189 mg/dL
- Very high: 190 mg/dL and higher
The above numbers are general guidelines, because actual goals depend on the number of risk factors you have for heart disease.
Your HDL cholesterol levels should be above 40 mg/dL. This type of fat is actually good for you because it lowers your risk of heart disease. The higher the number, the lower your risk. Sixty mg/dL or above is considered the level to protect you against heart disease.
High levels of triglycerides are linked with a higher heart disease risk. Here are the adult ranges:
- Normal: Less than 150 mg/dL
- Borderline high: 150 to 199 mg/dL
- High: 200 to 499 mg/dL
- Very high: Above 500 mg/dL
Depending on your test results, your healthcare provider will decide whether you need lifestyle changes or medicines to lower your cholesterol.
What Are Normal Cholesterol Levels
Normal cholesterol levels vary based on your age and sex assigned at birth.
Normal cholesterol levels by age chart
The chart below shows normal cholesterol levels. Healthcare providers consider these numbers healthy for most people. If you have heart disease or many risk factors, your LDL target may be different. Your healthcare provider may want your LDL level to be below 70 mg/dL. So, its important to talk with your provider about your test results and what they mean for you.
All units in the chart below are mg/dL.
| Age |
|---|
People assigned male at birth: 40 or higher
People assigned female at birth: 50 or higher
As you review your results, remember that you want your LDL to be low and your HDL to be high. Ideally, your HDL should be above 60. Its the helpful cholesterol. An HDL above 60 offers you protection against heart disease.
Sex-based differences
Most normal cholesterol levels are the same regardless of your sex. But there is one key difference among adults. Thats your HDL number. As the chart above shows, people assigned female at birth need a higher HDL level compared with people assigned male at birth .
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How Often To Get Tested
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , most healthy adults should get their cholesterol checked every four to six years.
Your risk factors also determine how often your cholesterol should be checked. Adults who have a history of high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, or obesity need more frequent readings, as do all adults as they age.
Children should have their cholesterol checked at least once between the ages of 9 and 11 and again between 17 and 20 years of age. If a child has a family history of high cholesterol, heart disease, or is overweight or obese, their pediatrician may recommend getting checked sooner and more often.
Treatment And Next Steps
After confirming that you have elevated blood triglycerides, your doctor may suggest various options depending on the level of triglycerides in your blood and other risk factors you might have. Your doctor will likely test for other conditions that could be secondary causes of high triglyceride levels. In many cases, lifestyle and diet changes may be enough to manage the condition.
If your triglyceride levels are very high or your doctor is concerned about your risk for heart disease or other complications, they may prescribe medications such as statins. Statins can help lower blood lipid levels. Other medications called fibrates, such as gemfibrozil and fenofibrate , also have an important role in the treatment of high triglycerides.
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How To Get Your Cholesterol Levels Checked
You can buy a test kit that will allow you to check your cholesterol levels at home, but they vary in how accurate they are. Kits that are approved by the FDA and say theyre traceable to a CDC program may be more accurate.
Given the lack of quality control on home health measurements like at-home testing kits, Dr. Fleg says, blood lipids should be measured by an accredited medical laboratory.
The AHA agrees, recommending that a primary care or family doctor assess blood lipid test results.
Getting an accurate cholesterol number is just one aspect of your overall cardiovascular health. You also have to understand what the number means for you personally.
Informed about your health history, family health history, and other risk factors, your doctor will be able to interpret the results better than a test kit. And by keeping track of all your cholesterol readings, your doctor will be able to catch any changes and advise you the best ways to address them.
My Cholesterol Is Normal But My Triglycerides Are High: Why Is That
So both your HDL and LDL levels are where they should be, but your triglycerides are still high why is that?
Triglycerides become elevated due to excess calories that do not get burned off, and in turned get stored in fat cells. Statins are medications that primarily lower LDL cholesterol, but depending on the medication dose, can lower Triglycerides from 20 to 40 percent, Sai Hanumanthu MD, with the TriHealth Heart Institute explains.
There are steps you can take to lower your triglyceride levels while promoting good cardiovascular health, including:
- Losing 5 to 10 pounds if overweight
- Avoiding alcohol
- Avoiding foods high in saturated fats
- Limiting simple carbs that have high processed sugars .
- Participating in 30 minutes of exercise per day
All these suggestions and routine follow up with a medical professional will lower you triglyceride level, even despite a low total cholesterol, Dr. Hanumanthu says.
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What Are Cholesterol Levels
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that plays many roles in the body, including synthesizing hormones and vitamin D. It also assists in the transporting of lipids. Cholesterol is found in the foods you eat, but it is also made by the liver.
Cholesterol circulating in the blood is carried by special particles called lipoproteins. The two major cholesterol-carrying lipoproteins are low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein :
- LDL cholesterol is often referred to as “bad” cholesterol because too much of it can build up in your arteries and form plaques, which increases the risk of heart disease.
- HDL cholesterol is often referred to as “good” cholesterol as it carries cholesterol to the liver to be broken down and excreted.
Since your total cholesterol level is a combination of your LDL cholesterol and your HDL cholesterol, ideally you want to keep your LDL levels low and your HDL levels high. There are many factors that can influence your cholesterol levels, including, diet, exercise, weight, genetics, and other health conditions.
Normal Cholesterol With High Triglycerides What Is That
When measuring total cholesterol levels, low-density lipoprotein , high-density lipoprotein , and triglycerides are used in the measurement.
For adults, standard cholesterol levels are:
- Less than 200 mg/dL is desirable
- Between 200 239 mg/dL is considered borderline
- Over 240 mg/dL is considered high
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Having high levels of cholesterol can cause several health problems. Too much cholesterol can cause blocking in blood vessels, which may cause someone to have a stroke or experience heart problems. By keeping a healthy diet and taking regular exercise, many people can lower their cholesterol if it is too high, while some may need to take medicine for the condition.
Did The Trend In The Percentage Of Adults With Elevated Triglyceride Differ By Sex And Race And Hispanic Origin Between 20012004 And 20092012
Figure 4. Age-adjusted percentage of adults aged 20 and over with elevated triglyceride, by sex and race and ethnicity: United States, 20012012
1Significant decreasing linear trend, p< 0.001.2Significant decreasing linear trend, p< 0.01.3Significantly lower than non-Hispanic white or Mexican-American adults of the same sex, p< 0.001. NOTE: Elevated triglyceride is a triglyceride level greater than or equal to 150 mg/dL. SOURCE: CDC/NCHS, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 20012012.
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What Are Normal And High Triglyceride Levels
The National Cholesterol Education Program sets guidelines for triglyceride levels:
- Normal levels: Less than 150 milligrams per deciliter
- Borderline high:150 to 199
- High: 200 to 499
- Very high: 500 or more
Elevated levels may lead to heart disease, especially in people with low levels of “good” cholesterol and high levels of “bad” cholesterol. The same is true if you have type 2 diabetes.
Experts once debated how important triglycerides are, but it now seems clear that higher levels are linked to problems such as heart disease.
One thing is clear, though: A good diet and exercise plan can lower triglyceride levels, improve cholesterol, and decrease the chance of heart disease.