As with other indicators such as blood pressure and glucose levels, your triglyceride level can reveal information about your overall health status. It's also one way, along with cholesterol and blood pressure levels, to access your cardiovascular health, according to the Mayo Clinic. Maintaining or improving your level is doable, so monitoring your triglycerides through regular checkups is important.
Identification
Triglyceride is a type of lipid, or fat, found in your blood and fat cells. When you eat, calories that are not used as an energy source for the body are stored in fat tissue. Although they can be released by the cells to provide energy, consistently eating more calories than your body needs to function can lead to a high triglyceride level. Cholesterol is often discussed in relation to triglycerides; this is because they are both types of fats found in the body.
Healthy Levels
Your triglyceride level can be checked through a blood test, just like cholesterol and blood sugar level. If your doctor orders a full cholesterol panel workup, triglycerides are checked as part of the testing. A healthy triglyceride level is less than 150 mg/dL, according to the Mayo Clinic. A high level is 200 to 499 mg/dL; anything between 150 and 200 is considered borderline high. A level of 500 or more is considered very high.
Causes
Although genetics can affect your triglycerides and cholesterol levels, lifestyle factors play a major role. Eating a diet made up of sugary or fatty foods, particularly those with saturated and trans fats, contributes to high triglyceride levels. Having excess weight and living a sedentary lifestyle also contribute to unhealthy levels. Drinking even small amounts of alcohol can raise your level as well, according to the Mayo Clinic. High triglycerides can also signal the existence of other medical conditions, such as diabetes and hypothyroidism.
Effects
If your triglyceride level is high, you are at risk of developing major cardiovascular conditions such as heart disease. High triglycerides also contribute to arterial hardening that can lead to heart attacks and strokes. You are more likely to develop metabolic syndrome as well. This syndrome involves a group of factors that put you at high risk for cardiovascular problems. The condition is marked by the existence of hypertension, high triglycerides, high blood glucose, unhealthy cholesterol levels and fat around the middle, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Prevention
You can make changes to improve and maintain your triglyceride level. Losing excess weight through proper eating and exercising 30 minutes a day at least five days a week should be a priority. Low-fat or fat-free dairy products, whole grains, fruits and vegetables are core foods to include in a healthy diet. The American Heart Association also recommends replacing saturated fat sources, such as butter, with unsaturated fats like canola and olive oil. Eating two weekly servings of fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids can also lower triglyceride levels. These fatty acids can lower health risks if you are healthy or if you already have a cardiovascular condition, according to the American Heart Association.
