Triglycerides
A type of fat in your blood that carries energy from food. It rises after meals, and high levels are linked to heart disease and, when very high, pancreatitis.
AI-verified against cited sources. Awaiting expert reviewAlso called TRIG, TAGLOINC 2571-8
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What it is
Triglycerides are the fat your body uses for energy. When you take in more calories than you need, your body turns the extra into triglycerides and stores them in fat cells. Between meals, they are released into the blood to fuel your muscles. They travel inside particles called chylomicrons, which come from food, and VLDL, which your liver makes. Your level rises after you eat and falls over the next several hours.
Why it matters
Higher triglycerides tend to go along with other changes that raise heart risk, such as extra weight, insulin resistance, low HDL and more cholesterol in leftover (remnant) particles. The 2026 US guideline counts raised triglycerides as a factor that can add to heart risk. Very high levels, 500 mg/dL and up, also raise the chance of sudden inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis). Triglycerides also matter for how your LDL is figured out: the older formula was only validated below 400 mg/dL, and the newer one used by Labcorp cannot be used above 800 mg/dL.
If it’s low
Triglyceride levels that are too low are very uncommon, and a low result is usually not a concern on its own. It can reflect a very low-fat or low-calorie diet, long fasting, or lipid-lowering treatment. Less often it goes along with an overactive thyroid, malnutrition or poor absorption of fat, or a rare inherited condition.
Common causes
- A very low-fat or low-calorie diet, or a long fast before the test
- Lipid-lowering treatment
- Malnutrition, or conditions that stop the gut from absorbing fat well (malabsorption)
- An overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism)
- Rare inherited conditions that lower blood fats
What can help
- If your level is very low and you are not on lipid-lowering treatment, mention it to your clinician, especially if you also have unplanned weight loss or other symptoms
If it’s high
Higher triglycerides are common, and they often respond to everyday changes. A recent meal, alcohol, extra weight and a diet high in sugar and refined carbohydrates are frequent reasons. Mild and moderate rises are linked to a greater chance of heart disease over time. Very high levels (500 mg/dL or more) raise the chance of pancreatitis, so they deserve prompt attention from your clinician.
Common causes
- Eating shortly before the blood draw (a non-fasting sample)
- Alcohol
- A diet high in sugar, refined carbohydrates and saturated fat
- Extra weight, belly fat, little physical activity, or metabolic syndrome
- Diabetes or prediabetes, especially when blood sugar is not well controlled
- An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
- Kidney disease (including nephrotic syndrome) or liver disease
- Pregnancy, when levels rise steadily
- Some medicines, including thiazide diuretics, certain beta-blockers, oral estrogens, steroids, isotretinoin, some antipsychotics, and some HIV and transplant medicines
- Inherited conditions such as familial combined hyperlipidemia or familial hypertriglyceridemia, and rarely familial chylomicronemia
What can help
- Cut back on alcohol and sugary drinks, and eat less added sugar, refined carbohydrates and saturated fat
- If you carry extra weight, losing some of it can lower triglycerides
- Be active most days. The CDC recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week for adults
- Ask your clinician whether a repeat fasting test would be useful
- Ask your clinician to review any medicines that can raise triglycerides, and do not stop them on your own
- Ask whether blood sugar, thyroid, kidney or liver tests are worth checking as possible causes
Usual ranges
What labs print as the reference range, by who was tested. Ranges differ a little between labs, so the range on your own report is the one your result is judged against.
The usual range depends on age. Choose an age to see the one that applies.
- 20+up to 149 mg/dL
Sources: Mayo Clinic Laboratories (Extended Catalog copy), Labcorp, ARUP Laboratories, Quest Diagnostics (via Fullscript), NHLBI / National Institutes of Health, MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine)
- 20+, non fastingup to 174 mg/dL
Sources: European Heart Journal (joint EAS/EFLM statement, also in Clinical Chemistry), American Diabetes Association, ACC/AHA Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines
Children and teens 2 ranges
- 2–9up to 74 mg/dL
Sources: NHLBI / Pediatrics, Quest Diagnostics (via Fullscript), Mayo Clinic Laboratories (Extended Catalog copy)
- 10–19up to 89 mg/dL
Sources: NHLBI / Pediatrics, Quest Diagnostics (via Fullscript), Mayo Clinic Laboratories (Extended Catalog copy)
See Triglycerides by age and sex, with the U.S. survey numbers where they exist.
NCEP ATP III triglyceride categories (adults, fasting)
- Normalbelow 150 mg/dL
- Borderline high150 to under 200 mg/dL
- High200 to under 500 mg/dL
- Very high500 and above mg/dL
Endocrine Society 2012 hypertriglyceridemia categories (adults, fasting)
- Normalbelow 150 mg/dL
- Mild150 to under 200 mg/dL
- Moderate200 to under 1,000 mg/dL
- Severe1,000 to under 2,000 mg/dL
- Very severe2,000 and above mg/dL
2026 ACC/AHA triglyceride thresholds (as summarized in Circulation 2026)
- Below 150below 150 mg/dL
- Elevated (150-499)150 to under 500 mg/dL
- Severe (500-999)500 to under 1,000 mg/dL
- Extreme (1,000 or higher)1,000 and above mg/dL
NHLBI triglyceride categories (children 2-9 years)
- Acceptablebelow 75 mg/dL
- Borderline high75 to under 100 mg/dL
- High100 and above mg/dL
NHLBI triglyceride categories (adolescents 10-19 years)
- Acceptablebelow 90 mg/dL
- Borderline high90 to under 130 mg/dL
- High130 and above mg/dL
If this applies to you
Triglycerides means a little more for some people. Open the one that fits you.
High cholesterol or heart risk
Triglycerides that stay raised count as a risk-enhancing factor in the 2026 U.S. guideline. Clinicians often look for common contributors first, such as alcohol, diet, diabetes that isn't well controlled, kidney disease, an underactive thyroid or some medicines.
Prediabetes or diabetes
Diabetes is one of the things that can raise triglycerides. With triglycerides of 150 mg/dL or more, the ADA suggests more focus on lifestyle and glucose management, and when they are very high, it suggests looking for other causes.
Perimenopause or menopause
The FDA label for estradiol tablets lists higher triglycerides among their effects on lab tests. It notes this matters most for people whose triglycerides are already high.
Keto or low-carb eating
Triglycerides often fall on low-carb diets. The NLA lists lower triglycerides among the possible advantages, and a meta-analysis of trials found lower triglycerides than on low-fat diets.
On a GLP-1 medicine
In the main weight-loss trials of liraglutide and tirzepatide, triglycerides and cholesterol improved along with weight, a 2025 joint advisory reports.
Taking HIV PrEP
In a large trial, men taking Descovy (F/TAF) had more triglyceride rises and weight gain than men taking Truvada. The CDC suggests checking triglycerides, cholesterol and weight every 12 months on Descovy.
Taking isotretinoin
Isotretinoin often raises triglycerides. In the label's data, about 1 in 4 people had a marked rise. The label asks for fasting lipid tests before starting and at intervals until the response is known, which usually shows within 4 weeks.
How common is your level?
NHANES describes the US civilian, non-institutionalized population, not a 'healthy' reference group. People with disease, on medication, fasting or not (except fasting-subsample markers), smokers and so on are all included. A percentile says where a value sits among Americans of that sex and age, not whether it is normal.
Use the left and right arrow keys to read each age. Shift moves five years.
Reference data derived from CDC/NCHS National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), cycles 2015-2016, 2017-March 2020 (pre-pandemic), August 2021-August 2023. Analysis by bloodtesttracker.com; not endorsed by CDC, NCHS or HHS.
Explore Triglycerides by age and sex: every percentile as a table, with a download.
What can affect your result
- Meals: levels are higher after eating, and a fasting sample gives the steadiest number
- Alcohol, especially heavy drinking
- Day-to-day variation: triglycerides can vary by up to about 25% from one day to the next, even when nothing has changed
- Weight, diet (sugar, refined carbohydrates, saturated fat) and physical activity
- Pregnancy: levels rise steadily and can be 200% or more above pre-pregnancy levels by the third trimester
- Diabetes control, and thyroid, kidney and liver conditions
- Medicines such as thiazide diuretics, certain beta-blockers, oral estrogens, steroids and isotretinoin
- Acute illness
- Age: cutoffs are lower for children and teens
- Eating raises triglycerides. The average rise is about 26 mg/dL (0.3 mmol/L) within 1-6 hours of usual meals, and Labcorp calls inadequate fasting the most common cause of a raised result.
- Heavy drinking can raise triglycerides, sometimes to very high levels.
- Triglyceride tests that do not subtract free glycerol can read falsely high in people with a lot of glycerol in their blood, for example during an intravenous lipid or heparin infusion. Labs reject tubes with glycerol-lubricated stoppers.
- High levels of N-acetylcysteine (a medicine used for acetaminophen overdose) and the acetaminophen byproduct NAPQI at overdose levels can make the result read falsely low on some assays.
- Acute illness can shift blood fats for a while, so the Merck Manual advises postponing lipid testing until you have recovered.
Often within a few weeks of changes in diet, alcohol, weight or medicine. A recheck 4-12 weeks after a treatment change is typical.
When to talk to a clinician
Talk with a clinician soon about triglycerides of 500 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L) or higher, because this range raises the chance of pancreatitis. At 1,000 mg/dL (11.3 mmol/L) or higher, get medical advice promptly. For milder rises (150-499 mg/dL), mention it at your next visit. Get urgent care for sudden, severe pain in the upper belly that does not go away, especially with nausea or vomiting. If you have chest pain or pressure, trouble breathing, or signs of a stroke such as face drooping, arm weakness or trouble speaking, call 911 or your local emergency number.
Questions you could ask
- How often should I have my triglycerides checked, and does fasting matter for me?
- Was my sample fasting, and should we repeat it fasting?
- What could be raising my triglycerides, such as alcohol, diet, weight, blood sugar, thyroid or medicines?
- Would other tests, such as blood sugar or apoB, add useful information for me?
- Should we recheck in a few weeks after lifestyle changes?
- Is a low level explained by my diet or treatment, or should we look further?
Questions people ask
Do I need to fast for a triglycerides test?
Often not. Guidelines accept non-fasting samples for routine lipid testing, because the average rise after usual meals is modest. A fasting test (often 9-12 hours) may be advised if a non-fasting result was 400 mg/dL or higher, if you have a family history of lipid problems, or if your clinician wants to confirm a number. Labs give different instructions, so follow yours.
Why did my triglycerides change so much since my last test?
Triglycerides are the most changeable part of a lipid panel. The time since your last meal, alcohol the night before, a rich meal, illness, and ordinary day-to-day swings of up to about 25% can all move the number. A pattern across several tests tells you more than one result.
Why do some reports flag triglycerides at 150 and others at 175?
150 mg/dL (1.7 mmol/L) is the usual cutoff for a fasting sample. For a non-fasting sample, a European consensus and the American Diabetes Association use 175 mg/dL (2 mmol/L), because levels run higher after eating. Many US labs print 150 for every sample.
How do I convert triglycerides from mg/dL to mmol/L?
Divide mg/dL by 88.57 to get mmol/L. To go the other way, multiply mmol/L by 88.57. For example, 150 mg/dL is about 1.7 mmol/L. Cholesterol uses a different factor (38.67), so do not mix them up. Some labs report g/L, where 1 g/L is 100 mg/dL.
How high is too high for triglycerides?
Under 150 mg/dL is the usual range. 150-199 is borderline high, 200-499 is high, and 500 or more is very high. At 500 and above, and especially at 1,000 and above, guidelines make preventing pancreatitis the priority. Your clinician will look at your result along with your cholesterol, blood sugar and overall heart risk.
Show the science and sources
Units
- 1 mg/dL = 1 mg/dL
- 1 mg/dL = 0.01129 mmol/L
- 1 mg/dL = 0.01 g/L
Open the Triglycerides unit converter
Is a change real?
Triglycerides naturally varies about 19.8% from test to test in the same healthy person. Between two results from the same lab, a rise of 73% or more, or a fall of 42% or more, is unlikely to be day-to-day noise or lab variation (95% reference change value). Source: The European Biological Variation Study (EuBIVAS): a summary report.
For clinicians and researchers
Triglycerides are measured enzymatically (Labcorp and ARUP list enzymatic methods and Mayo a colorimetric one): lipase releases glycerol, which a coupled reaction turns into a color. Most routine assays also count free glycerol unless a blank is subtracted, which matters mainly during intravenous lipid or heparin infusion (EAS/EFLM 2016). Plasma triglycerides are carried by chylomicrons (dietary) and VLDL (made by the liver). Chylomicrons float as a creamy layer in refrigerated serum, and turbid serum often means triglycerides above about 350 mg/dL (Labcorp). The mean rise 1-6 hours after habitual meals is about 0.3 mmol/L (26 mg/dL), and day-to-day variation can reach about 25% (Merck Manual). EAS/EFLM suggests flagging 175 mg/dL (2 mmol/L) or more on non-fasting samples and 150 mg/dL (1.7 mmol/L) or more fasting, and referral above 880 mg/dL (10 mmol/L) because of pancreatitis risk. Categories: NCEP ATP III (<150, 150-199, 200-499, >=500 mg/dL) and the Endocrine Society 2012 guideline, which splits above 200 into moderate (200-999), severe (1000-1999) and very severe (>=2000) for fasting samples and notes that pancreatitis risk rises markedly above 2000 mg/dL. The 2026 ACC/AHA guideline (as summarized in a 2026 Circulation review) treats triglycerides of 150-499 mg/dL as a risk enhancer, advises a fasting repeat when a non-fasting triglyceride is >=400 mg/dL, prefers the Martin-Hopkins or Sampson equation over Friedewald for estimating LDL-C, and shifts the short-term priority to preventing pancreatitis at >=500 (severe) and especially >=1000 mg/dL (extreme). The 2018 ACC/AHA guideline used persistent triglycerides >=175 mg/dL as its risk-enhancing threshold. Labcorp notes that LDL-C cannot be calculated accurately by the NIH (Sampson) formula above 800 mg/dL.
LOINC 2571-8 (primary), 14927-8, 35217-9, 3048-6. Specimen: serum-or-plasma.
Sources
- Triglycerides, Serum (test ID TRIG1), Mayo Clinic Laboratories (Extended Catalog copy) (2026)
- Triglycerides (test 001172), Labcorp
- Lipid Panel (test 303756), Labcorp
- Triglycerides, Serum or Plasma (test 0020040), ARUP Laboratories
- Lipid Panel with Ratios, Quest Diagnostics (reference ranges as listed by Fullscript), Quest Diagnostics (via Fullscript)
- Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III): Executive Summary, NHLBI / National Institutes of Health (2001)
- Evaluation and Treatment of Hypertriglyceridemia: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (2012)
- Expert Panel on Integrated Guidelines for Cardiovascular Health and Risk Reduction in Children and Adolescents: Summary Report, NHLBI / Pediatrics (2011)
- Fasting is not routinely required for determination of a lipid profile: clinical and laboratory implications including flagging at desirable concentration cutpoints. A joint consensus statement from the European Atherosclerosis Society and European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, European Heart Journal (joint EAS/EFLM statement, also in Clinical Chemistry) (2016)
- The 2026 ACC/AHA Dyslipidemia Guideline: A Critical and Transatlantic Perspective on Personalized Lipid Management, Life (MDPI) (2026)
- 10. Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Management: Standards of Care in Diabetes-2026, American Diabetes Association (2026)
- Triglycerides Test: MedlinePlus Medical Test, MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine)
- Dyslipidemia (Hyperlipidemia), Merck Manual Professional Edition
- Triolein (PubChem CID 5497163), PubChem (National Library of Medicine)
- Lipid Profile Testing and Interpretation (summarizes the 2026 ACC/AHA Dyslipidemia Guideline), Circulation (Nguyen, Ahmad, Navar) (2026)
- 2018 AHA/ACC/AACVPR/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol: Executive Summary, ACC/AHA Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines (2019)
- Adult Activity: An Overview, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
AI-verified against cited sources. Awaiting expert review. Last reviewed 2026-10-03. How we build and check these pages.