If you are due for an annual checkup, your health care provider probably scheduled a fasting lipid profile test to check your cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Your provider uses this information to assess your risk for heart disease. While the word "fasting" may seem a bit scary, it usually means that you are tested sometime in the morning, before your first meal of the day.
Triglycerides
Triglycerides are lipids processed from dietary fats and carbohydrates in your liver, then sent into your circulatory system to either be used for immediate energy or stored as fat. Triglycerides are released by hormones from your fat cells when your body needs energy between meals. According to the Mayo Clinic, as part of your lipid profile, your doctor usually tests your triglycerides along with your cholesterol levels from a blood sample, as part of your lipid profile. You typically fast for nine to 12 hours prior to your test.
Fasting vs. Non-Fasting Triglycerides
In an article published in the November 2007 issue of "Clinical Chemistry," author Paul M. Ridker of Brigham and Women's Hospital explains that triglycerides have traditionally been measured in the fasting state because circulating triglyceride levels are higher after a meal containing fat, and therefore more variable, and because triglyceride levels were part of the Friedewald equation for assessing LDL cholesterol. However, new methods for determining LDL cholesterol have rendered the equation obsolete. Ridker presents evidence to argue that non-fasting triglycerides are a more accurate predictor for heart disease. In a 2007 article published in the "Journal of the American Medical Association," researchers following 36,500 healthy American women for 11 years concluded that non-fasting triglyceride levels had a stronger correlation with cardiac risk factors than fasting levels. Nevertheless, fasting tests are still widely used.
Healthy Triglyceride Levels
Your triglyceride readings reflect the amount of triglycerides circulating in your bloodstream at the time of your test. Levels below 150 mg/dL are considered "normal," a reading of 150 to 199 mg/dL is "borderline high," 200 to 499 mg/dL is "high" and levels above 500 mg/dL are considered "very high." The American Heart Association recommends levels below 100 mg/dL for optimal heart health. The AHA encourages lifestyle change as treatment for high triglycerides rather than medication.
Lowering Your Triglycerides
The Mayo Clinic notes that high triglycerides are a product of unhealthy lifestyle choices. Eating more fat and carbohydrates than your body can use for energy, failing to exercise and having too much excess body fat are all contributing factors. Modifying your diet to include fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains; avoiding fast food, junk food and processed food; and exercising daily are all proactive measures you can take to lower your triglyceride levels.
References
- "Journal of the American Medical Association"; Fasting Compared With Nonfasting Triglycerides and Risk of Cardiovascular Events in Women; Sandeep Bansal, M.D., et al.; 2007
- Disease.org: An Overview on Triglycerides
- "Clinical Chemistry"; Fasting vs. Nonfasting Triglycerides and the Prediction of Cardiovascular Risk: Do We Need to Revisit the Oral Triglyceride Tolerance Test?; Paul M. Ridker; November 2007
- MayoClinic.com: Triglycerides: Why Do They Matter?
