What Are The Causes And Symptoms Of High Triglycerides
Causes include obesity, eating too much unhealthy food, genetics, certain illnesses including poorly controlled diabetes, kidney disease, and underactive thyroid . Some drugs, such as steroids and birth control pills, and drinking a lot of alcohol can also cause it.
Most people have no symptoms. Very high levels can cause small fat deposits under the skin and a painful inflammation of the pancreas called pancreatitis.
What Do The Results Mean
Triglycerides are usually measured in milligrams of triglycerides per deciliter of blood. Guidelines for normal and higher levels of triglycerides are used to help decide when treatment is needed. The commonly used guidelines for adults are:
| Category |
|---|
- Managing stress
In certain cases, you may also need medicine to help lower your triglyceride levels. Before making any major changes to your diet or exercise routine, talk with your provider about what treatment is best for you.
Triglyceride levels that are too low are very uncommon.
Learn more about laboratory tests, reference ranges, and understanding results.
When Should I Get My Triglyceride Levels Checked
If you are aged 45 years or older, you should have your cholesterol and triglycerides checked every 5 years. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people should start regular triglyceride checks from age 35.
The level of triglycerides in your blood is higher after you eat, so you will need to fast for 9 to 12 hours before the test.
Talk to your doctor about your results and what to do if your levels are high.
Recommended Reading: Is Mayo Bad For Cholesterol
Dangers Of Low Triglycerides
Low triglyceride levels are generally not dangerous. In fact, research supports the idea that low triglyceride levels can offer certain health benefits.
In one 2014 study, researchers found that lower non-fasting triglyceride levels were associated with a reduction in all-cause mortality in almost 14,000 study participants.
Another smaller 2017 study found that low triglyceride levels were linked to improved brain function in older adults without dementia.
However, incredibly low triglyceride levels may be linked to other conditions, as mentioned above. Some of these conditions in and of themselves may be dangerous, so it becomes important to treat the underlying condition thats causing low triglycerides.
Elevated Blood Triglycerides In Men
The stronger sex always has slightly higher Tg levels than the weaker sex. Elevated triglycerides in the blood of men can be due to smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, overeating and frequent stress. Once you have received the results of the tests, you should always consult your doctor and undergo treatment.
Read Also: How To Reduce Cholesterol In 30 Days
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 doctors 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.
Show Sources
Read Also: How To Find Ldl From Total Cholesterol
What Causes Elevated Levels
It’s common to have high triglyceride levels if you have type 2 diabetes. When they are above the normal range, your provider might tell you that your triglyceride levels are elevated. Up to 70% of people with diabetes also have elevated triglyceride levels.
This article will go over how triglyceride levels are related to diabetes. You’ll also learn how to lower your triglyceride levels if they’re too high.
Also Check: Why Is High Cholesterol Bad For Your Heart
Other Causes Of High Triglycerides
High triglyceride levels may have other causes besides diet. For some people, high triglycerides are genetic. While dietary changes may help lower them a bit, you may also want to speak with your doctor about whether you also need to take medication.
Pregnancy can also cause a temporary increase in triglycerides. In women who are genetically predisposed, the increase can sometimes be severe and life-threatening.
Some medications can also raise your triglyceride levels. These include:
- Birth control pills containing estrogen
- Hormone replacement therapy
Diagnosis Of High Triglycerides
A blood test can reveal whether or not you have high triglycerides. You may need to have two blood tests for accurate results. Dont eat anything for at least 12 hours before each blood test because food particularly fatty food can temporarily boost triglyceride levels in the blood and skew your test results.Triglycerides are measured in mmol/L. The range includes:
- Very high over 6 mmol/L
- High between2 and 6 mmol/L
- Borderline high between 1.7 and 2 mmol/L
- Normal below 1.7 mmol/L
The doctor may also test your cholesterol levels. In many cases, high triglycerides and high cholesterol go hand in hand. This condition is sometimes known as combined hyperlipidemia.
Also Check: Is Beer Bad For High Cholesterol
Ldl And Hdl: What Are Triglycerides
Triglycerides are chemical compounds digested by the body to provide it with the energy for metabolism. Triglycerides are the most common form of fat in the body. They are the main ingredient in vegetable oils and animal fats.
The triglyceride molecule is a form of the chemical glycerol that contains three fatty acids. To be absorbed, these parts are broken apart in the small intestine, and afterwards are reassembled with cholesterol to form chylomicrons. This is the source of energy for cells in the body. Fat cells and liver cells are used as storage sites and release chylomicrons when the body needs the energy.
Elevated triglyceride levels are a risk factor for atherosclerosis, the narrowing of arteries with the buildup of fatty plaques that may lead to heart attack, stroke, and peripheral artery disease. Markedly elevated triglyceride levels may also cause fatty liver disease and pancreatitis.
Certain diseases and conditions may cause elevated triglyceride blood levels, for example:
What Do Low Triglyceride Levels Indicate And Can They Be Too Low
In general, having low triglyceride levels is not considered a problem. If your triglyceride levels are less than 150mg/dL, you have a lower risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attack or stroke.
However, if your triglyceride levels are extremely low and less than 40mg/dL, then you may have a medical condition or disease, such as liver problems or inflammation. Your risk of dying from heart failure is also higher if triglycerides are too low.
Other causes of very low triglyceride levels include:
- Very low-fat diets
Also Check: Does Metamucil Help Lower Cholesterol
Read Also: Is Coffee Bad For High Cholesterol
Ask A Laboratory Scientist
This form enables patients to ask specific questions about lab tests. Your questions will be answered by a laboratory scientist as part of a voluntary service provided by one of our partners, American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science. Please allow 2-3 business days for an email response from one of the volunteers on the Consumer Information Response Team.
Should You Worry About High Triglycerides
These blood fats can be one of the signs of metabolic syndrome, which increases the risk for having a heart attack or stroke.
Until recently, triglycerides tended to get less attention when looking at cardiovascular risk compared to LDL and HDL cholesterol levels. There’s no question that extremely high levels spell trouble and can lead to acute pancreatitis. But what about treating lower levels of triglycerides? Recent evidence suggests you should work to reduce triglyceride levels of they are higher than normal, especially if you have heart disease or have other risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure or smoking.
Triglyceride levels |
|
*All values in milligrams per deciliter |
Recommended Reading: Is Oat Milk Good For Cholesterol
What Is A High Triglyceride Level
High triglycerides can be dangerous to your health. Unfortunately, high triglycerides, like high cholesterol, rarely causes symptoms. Its vital to get routine lipid blood tests to check cholesterol numbers.
Your healthcare provider determines total cholesterol by looking at a combination of triglycerides, HDL and LDL numbers. If your triglycerides and LDL cholesterol are high, but your HDL is low, you have an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
For the most accurate reading, you should fast 8 to 12 hours before a lipid blood test. A healthy number for triglycerides is below 150 milligrams per deciliter .
Your healthcare provider classifies high triglyceride levels as:
- Mild: 150-199 mg/dL.
- Severe: Greater than 500 mg/dL.
How To Use Nicotinic Acid Capsule Extended Release
Take this medication by mouth with a low-fat meal or snack as directed by your doctor, usually 1-3 times daily. Taking niacin on an empty stomach increases side effects . Follow all directions on the product package. If your doctor has prescribed this medication, take it as directed. If you have any questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Niacin is available in different formulations . Do not switch between strengths, brands, or forms of niacin. Severe liver problems may occur.
Swallow extended-release capsules whole. Do not crush or chew extended-release capsules or tablets. Doing so can release all of the drug at once, increasing the risk of side effects. Also, do not split extended-release tablets unless they have a score line and your doctor or pharmacist tells you to do so. Swallow the whole or split tablet without crushing or chewing.
To lessen the chance of side effects such as flushing, avoid alcohol, hot beverages, and eating spicy foods near the time you take niacin. Taking a plain aspirin or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug 30 minutes before taking niacin may help prevent flushing. Ask your doctor if this treatment is right for you.
If you also take certain other drugs to lower cholesterol , take niacin at least 4 to 6 hours before or after taking these medications. These products interact with niacin, preventing its full absorption. Continue to take other medications to lower your cholesterol as directed by your doctor.
You May Like: Can You Drink Water Before A Cholesterol Test
Is Any Test Preparation Needed To Ensure The Quality Of The Sample
Current standards recommend that testing be done when you are fasting. For 9 to 12 hours before the test, only water is permitted. Your health care practitioner may decide that you may be tested without fasting. Follow any instructions you are given and tell the person drawing your blood whether or not you have fasted. In addition, alcohol should not be consumed for 24 hours just before the test.
Treatment Of High Triglycerides
The best way to get rid of triglyceridemia is to follow a healthy lifestyle. If your blood triglycerides are high, they can be lowered by following these steps:
The treatment of high triglycerides does not end here. Sometimes you need to take the following medications:
- nicotinic acid
Also Check: How To Help High Cholesterol
What Does It Mean When Triglycerides Are Elevated
An increase in lipids can be a sign of the diseases described above. Often a person may not realize they are at risk until they have been screened. High triglycerides mean that the patient must follow a diet that helps normalize their blood and lower their cholesterol. It also indicates that there is a risk of cardiovascular disease, liver cirrhosis and hepatitis.
Refined Grains And Starchy Foods
Refined or processed grains are typically made from white flour, which can increase triglycerides. They also often have added sugars. If possible, try to limit:
- Enriched or bleached white bread, wheat bread, or pasta
- Pastries, pies, cookies, and cakes
Starchy foods can also raise triglycerides. Try to choose foods with 100% whole grains and opt for long-grain rice instead of instant rice. If possible, eat non-starchy vegetables such as spinach, instead of starchy ones like potatoes.
Don’t Miss: Herbs To Lower Cholesterol And Triglycerides
Triglycerides And Blood Sugar
Having high triglycerides could be a sign that youâre becoming insulin-resistant, which means your body isnât using insulin properly.
When insulin doesnât do its job, glucose can’t get into your cells. That raises your blood sugar levels, which can lead to pre-diabetes and, eventually, type 2 diabetes.
Having diabetes makes you much more likely to have a heart attack and other heart problems, in addition to the risk from your high triglycerides.
Untreated diabetes is a major health threat. To manage it well, you may need to track everything you eat, test your blood sugar, exercise, lose extra weight, take medication as directed, and keep up with your medical appointments.
Many people don’t know that they have diabetes. Your doctor should check on whether you do, and if so, help you get both your diabetes and your triglycerides under control.
Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors
High triglyceride levels are associated with a collection of disorders known as metabolic syndrome. A person with metabolic syndrome has an increased risk of developing diabetes, stroke or heart disease.A person is classed as having metabolic syndrome when they have any three of the following factors:
- Central obesity excess fat in and around the stomach
- High blood pressure
You May Like: Which Fat Is Bad For Cholesterol
How Can I Lower My Triglyceride Level
You may be able to lower your triglycerides with a combination of losing weight, diet and exercise.
- Avoid simple carbohydrates, such as foods containing sugar or made with white flour. Eat more whole-grains, such as oats, brown rice and multi-grain bread.
- Reduce alcohol intake drink less than the recommended amount of alcohol per week. These guidelines are usually too high for people with high triglycerides. If you have triglyceride levels over 5mmol/L you should avoid alcohol completely.
- Eat less fat and choose healthy fats
- cut back on saturated fat and trans fats
- eat more fish omega-3 fats in salmon, tuna, sardines, and other fatty fish can lower triglycerides. Having fish twice a week is fine.
See our Healthy Living section for more ideas to help you get started.
You also may need to take medication to lower your triglycerides. Your doctor may start you on a statin, or a fibrate . Your doctor will let you know if you need to take medication.
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.
Also Check: How To Reduce Cholesterol And Triglycerides
Diet For High Blood Triglycerides
A proper diet is a very important factor in rapidly reducing cholesterol and TG levels. For starters, it’s a good idea to reduce your calorie intake to an acceptable level. It is better to use all the methods described in combination to get rid of the risk of heart disease. A diet for high triglycerides includes the following foods:
- lean meat in moderation
- skimmed milk products
- Polyunsaturated fats
- Monounsaturated fats .
You categorically can not eat:
- fatty meat products
- Refined sugar
- flour products
- sweets and honey
After a few months of treatment, your TG and cholesterol levels should return to normal. The main proof of this will be weight loss and improved well-being. However, the patient will have to undergo another examination and a blood test. The doctor may advise the patient to continue with the diet described above, exercise the body moderately, and give up bad habits.
Know The Dangers Of Trans Fats
Trans fats are dangerous for your heart, because they raise low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride levels. The chief culprit youll see on product labels is partially hydrogenated oil. Trans fats are the result of adding hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to increase shelf life. This may make some baked and fried foods taste better, but trans fats are very unhealthy, particularly for people with high triglycerides. In fact, trans fats should make up less than 1 percent of your total calories, according to the World Health Organization. Check your food labels: If a food contains trans fats or hydrogenated oils, leave it on the shelf.
Also Check: Natural Ways To Lower High Cholesterol And Triglycerides
Read Also: Does Fish Oil Lower Cholesterol And Triglycerides
Causes Of High Triglycerides + Normal Levels
Biljana Novkovic, PhDJonathan Ritter, PharmD, PhD Puya Yazdi, MDBiljana Novkovic, PhD
SelfHacked has the strictest sourcing guidelines in the health industry and we almost exclusively link to medically peer-reviewed studies, usually on PubMed. We believe that the most accurate information is found directly in the scientific source.
We are dedicated to providing the most scientifically valid, unbiased, and comprehensive information on any given topic.
Our team comprises of trained MDs, PhDs, pharmacists, qualified scientists, and certified health and wellness specialists.
All of our content is written by scientists and people with a strong science background.
Our science team is put through the strictest vetting process in the health industry and we often reject applicants who have written articles for many of the largest health websites that are deemed trustworthy. Our science team must pass long technical science tests, difficult logical reasoning and reading comprehension tests. They are continually monitored by our internal peer-review process and if we see anyone making material science errors, we don’t let them write for us again.
Our goal is to not have a single piece of inaccurate information on this website. If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please leave a comment or contact us at [email protected].