National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Triglycerides is the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
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National Institutes of Health
Triglycerides
Triglycerides are a type of fat in the bloodstream and fat tissue. Too much of this type of fat can contribute to the hardening and narrowing of your arteries. This puts you at risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Diseases such as diabetes, obesity, kidney failure or alcoholism can cause high triglycerides. Often, high triglycerides occur along with high levels of cholesterol, another type of fat.
Triglycerides are measured along with cholesterol as part of a blood test. Normal triglyceride levels are below 150. Levels above 200 are high. If your triglyceride level is high, you can lower it by
- Getting medical treatment for the problem causing the high triglycerides
- Following a healthy diet low in sugars and carbohydrates
- Exercising regularly
- Taking cholesterol-lowering medicines
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Start Here
- Triglycerides(American Heart Association)
The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Basics
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Learn More
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Multimedia & Cool Tools
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For group Basics
For group Learn More
For group Multimedia & Cool Tools
The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
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Reference Shelf
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For You
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For group Research
For group Reference Shelf
For group For You
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Overviews
- Roadmap for Managing Your Triglycerides and Protecting Your Heart(American Academy of Nurse Practitioners) - PDF
- What Are High Blood Cholesterol and Triglycerides?(American Heart Association) - PDF
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Diagnosis/Symptoms
- ApoE (Apolipoprotein E) Genotyping(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
- Lipid Profile(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
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Prevention/Screening
- Triglycerides Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
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Related Issues
- Hyperlipidemia(American Heart Association)
- Triglycerides and Cardiovascular Disease: FAQ(American Heart Association) - PDF
- Triglycerides: Common Questions(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
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Health Check Tools
- Test Your Lipid IQ(Foundation of the National Lipid Association)
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Anatomy/Physiology
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What Do Fats Do in the Body?(National Institute of General Medical Sciences)
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What Do Fats Do in the Body?
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Hyperlipidemia, Familial Combined(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Hyperlipidemias(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Hyperlipoproteinemia Type IV(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Hypertriglyceridemia(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Hyperlipidemia, Familial Combined
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Research
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Big, Fat World of Lipids(National Institute of General Medical Sciences)
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Big, Fat World of Lipids
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Organizations
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Patient Handouts
- Familial hypertriglyceridemia
- Also available in Spanish
- High blood cholesterol and triglycerides
- Also available in Spanish
- VLDL test
- Also available in Spanish
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MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA