Triglycerides are one of two types of lipids circulating in our blood. They are stored in fat cells when your body needs to convert excessive amounts of calories into an effective form of energy storage.
Normal triglyceride levels indicate that you have a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Measuring triglyceride levels can help identify increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The tricky part with cardiovascular disease development, is that it might not cause any symptoms while progressing. By measuring your triglyceride levels together with other lipids, you can get a better understanding of your risk value as well as a starting point for tracking your progress in lifestyle changes over time.
Low triglyceride levels indicate that there is a low amount of circulating triglycerides in your bloodstream. In general, this is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.
Important note: Extremely low levels of triglycerides may indicate an underlying medical condition such as malnutrition or difficulties absorbing fats from foods which may require further investigation.
High triglyceride levels, also known as hypertriglyceridemia, may imply an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. Most often, it derives from one or several factors which may result in elevated levels, such as obesity, lack of exercise, poorly controlled diabetes and excessive alcohol consumption.
Conditions such as liver disease, kidney disease and hypothyroidism may also contribute to higher than normal levels of triglycerides in the circulating blood. High levels may also be a side effect of certain medications such as beta-blockers and steroids.