What are Triglycerides?
Triglycerides are a major fuel source of the body. Much of this fat is stored in body tissues for use as needed, but some continuously circulates throughout the body for immediate use by muscles. While triglycerides are crucial for overall health, eating foods that contain triglycerides can cause unhealthy levels to build up, increasing the risk of heart disease and death.
The triglyceride blood test is ordered as part of the lipid profile. Lipid profiles can be ordered at any age, but older adults tend to have the test more often as it can be used to gauge risk for heart disease in the future or to measure lipid levels in a patient currently being treated for heart disease. If a patient has recovered from a heart attack, triglyceride levels will be monitored for life.
Conditions that can increase the risk of heart disease include diabetes, smoking and high blood pressure.
Normal Value Range
- Negative Pregnancy Adult: < 150 mg/dL or < 1.7 mmol/L
- Pregnancy Trimester One: 40 to 159 mg/dL or 0.5 to 1.8 mmol/L
- Pregnancy Trimester Two: 75 to 382 mg/dL or 0.9 to 4.3 mmol/L
- Pregnancy Trimester Three: 131 to 453 to mg/dL or 1,5 to 5.1 mmol/L