Triglyceride levels in the blood should be below 150 mg/dL or 1.7 mmol/L to be considered normal. Eating a large meal or consuming alcohol can temporarily raise levels, and fasting for 14 hours before a blood test is recommended. Elevated levels can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, and women are expected to have lower levels than men. Some medical experts believe that levels above 100 mg/dL or 1.1 mmol/L can contribute to the risks of heart problems and diabetes.
Triglycerides are fat molecules that circulate in the blood. High levels of these fats are often associated with high levels of LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, and low levels of HDL, or “good” cholesterol. Normal triglyceride levels are those below 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), which is sometimes also measured as 1.7 millimoles/liter (mmol/L). Levels higher than that may be a risk factor for heart disease or diabetes.
Groups like the American Heart Association advise anyone over the age of 20 to have blood tests to measure triglyceride and cholesterol levels. Only one blood sample is required for the various tests. A person undergoing such tests would have to fast overnight before blood is drawn. Generally, eight hours is considered an adequate time to fast. False high readings are a common problem with measuring triglyceride levels, and several factors can interfere with obtaining measurements of a person’s normal triglyceride levels.
For example, eating a large meal can temporarily raise blood triglyceride levels. In some cases it can take more than eight hours to metabolize all the fat. Therefore, it is now recommended to fast for 14 hours before taking blood for triglyceride testing. Additionally, alcohol should be avoided at least 24 hours in advance, as it can cause a substantial transient increase in triglyceride levels. Vitamin supplements are another item to avoid in the 24 hours before this test.
Elevated triglyceride levels are generally thought to be in the range of 150 to 199 mg/dL (1.7 to 2.25 mmol/L). These high levels often coincide with high levels of undesirable cholesterol (LDL) and low levels of desirable cholesterol (HDL). This can make it difficult to pinpoint exactly which component of increased lipids contributes to increased risks of heart disease and stroke, due to elevated triglyceride levels.
There are different standards of triglyceride levels for each gender. Women are expected to have lower blood triglyceride levels than men. One estimate pegs normal female triglyceride levels at 82.5% lower than those of men. This would make women’s desired level 124 mg/dL (1.4 mmol/L), if adhering to American Heart Association standards.
While normal triglyceride levels have traditionally been aimed at less than 150 mg/dL (1.7 mmol/L), there are some medical experts who believe this is too high. These people believe that while this value is normal, it does include a percentage of sick people. Other health professionals consider levels above 100 mg/dL (1.1 mmol/L) to contribute to the risks of heart problems and diabetes.
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