Triglycerides are a type of fat associated with cholesterol. Any calories eaten, but not immediately used for energy, are stored as triglycerides in your fat cells. Triglycerides can then be used for energy in between meals. Untreated type 2 diabetes can lead to hypertriglyceridemia, high levels of triglycerides, which may also can contribute to heart disease.
Normal Triglyceride Levels
Ninety-nine percent of the fat stored in your body is triglycerides. Made from dietary carbohydrates and fats, triglycerides are the most important source of stored energy in your body. It's normal to see a spike in triglyceride levels after eating, so a blood test should always be done after an eight-hour fast. Ideally, your triglyceride level should be less than 150 mg/dL. Between 150 and 199 mg/dL is borderline-high, over 200 mg/dL is high and any reading over 500 mg/dL is very high. Alcohol also affects triglyceride levels, so don't drink any alcoholic beverages in the 24 hours before your blood test.
Insulin and Triglycerides
Triglycerides can only be stored in your fat cells if insulin is present. If triglycerides are not moved into your cells for storage, they remain in your bloodstream, elevating your risk of heart attack and stroke, much like LDL cholesterol. When insulin levels are low, overnight or between meals, triglycerides are moved from fat cells to be used as energy. Although high triglyceride levels do not cause diabetes, uncontrolled diabetes can elevate triglyceride levels. Because uncontrolled diabetes often includes low insulin levels, triglycerides aren't moved into your fat cells for later conversion to energy.
Diabetic Dyslipidemia and Metabolic Syndrome
People with diabetes tend to have high levels of triglycerides and LDL cholesterol, combined with low levels of HDL, the "good" cholesterol, a condition known as diabetic dyslipidemia. Diabetic dyslipidemia and obesity -- especially with a disproportionate amount of weight around your midsection -- are symptoms of metabolic syndrome, which increase your risk for premature death from stroke and coronary artery disease. Eighty percent of people with type 2 diabetes also have metabolic syndrome. Other factors for metabolic syndrome include your age, high blood pressure and a fasting blood sugar level higher than 100 mg/dL.
High Triglycerides and Neuropathy
The greatest link between diabetes and triglycerides was found in a 2009 study at the University of Michigan. It showed that diabetics with high triglyceride levels were much more likely to develop nerve damage, or neuropathy. People suffering from diabetic neuropathy experience a painful tingling and numbing in their extremities as nerves are damaged or lost. According to the study, published in the July 2009 journal "Diabetes," patients with elevated triglycerides were "significantly more likely to experience worsening neuropathy over a period of one year." Elevated triglyceride levels may be the most accurate means of predicting diabetic nerve damage. Reducing your triglyceride level through a combination of diet, exercise and medication may reduce your risk of developing neuropathy.
