Triglycerides Test
At a Glance
Why Get Tested?
To assess the risk of developing heart disease
When to Get Tested?
As part of a lipid profile during a medical examination or if you are being treated for high triglycerides
Sample Required?
A blood sample taken from a vein
The Test Sample
What is being tested?
This test measures the amount of triglycerides in your blood. Triglycerides are the body's storage form of fat. Most triglycerides are found in fat (adipose) tissue. Some triglycerides circulate in the blood to provide fuel for muscles to work. Extra triglycerides are found in the blood after eating a meal — when fat is being sent from the gut to fat tissue for storage. Ideally, the test for triglycerides should be done when you are fasting with no extra triglycerides from a recent meal.
How is the sample collected for testing?
The test for triglycerides uses a blood sample. Most often, the blood sample is collected using a needle to collect blood from a vein.
NOTE: If undergoing medical tests makes you or someone you care for anxious, embarrassed, or even difficult to manage, you might consider reading one or more of the following articles: Coping with Test Pain, Discomfort, and Anxiety, Tips on Blood Testing, Tips to Help Children through Their Medical Tests, and Tips to Help the Elderly through Their Medical Tests.
Another article, Follow That Sample, provides a glimpse at the collection and processing of a blood sample and throat culture.
The Test
How is it used?
Blood tests for triglycerides are usually part of a lipid profile used to identify the risk of developing heart disease. If you are diabetic, it is especially important to have triglycerides measured as part of any lipid testing since triglycerides increase significantly when blood sugar is out of control.
When is it requested?
Lipid profiles, including triglycerides, are recommended as routine tests to discover the risk of heart disease. The test for triglycerides is not often used alone since the risk of heart disease is based on cholesterol levels (see cholesterol, HDL, LDL), not triglycerides. However, if you have been found to have high triglycerides and are being treated for it, a triglyceride test may be used to see if treatment is working.
What does the test result mean?
If you have a high fasting triglyceride level, your doctor may wish to find out whether you have a high fat diet, a high intake of alcohol, or have diabetes. It is unusual to have high triglycerides without also having high cholesterol. Having high lipids may increase your risk of developing heart disease and you may be given treatment aimed at lowering your lipid levels.
The type of treatment used may differ depending on whether cholesterol, triglycerides, or both are high. When triglycerides are very high, there is a risk of developing pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas).
Is there anything else I should know?
Testing should be done when you are fasting. For 10 to 16 hours before the test, only water is permitted. In addition, alcohol should not be consumed for the 24 hours before the test.
If you are diabetic and your blood sugar is out of control, triglycerides will be very high.
Triglycerides may change dramatically after a meal. Even fasting levels vary considerably from day to day. Because of the day to day variation modest changes in fasting triglycerides measured on different days are not considered to be unusual or abnormal.
Common Questions
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Article Sources
NOTE: This article is based on research that utilizes the sources cited here as well as the collective experience of the Lab Tests Online Editorial Review Board. This article is periodically reviewed by the Editorial Board and may be updated as a result of the review. Any new sources cited will be added to the list and distinguished from the original sources used.
