What is a Healthy Triglycerides range?

What constitutes a healthy triglycerides range?

You may have been given a lipid panel at your last doctor's appointment, but do you remember what it said, and what to do about it? Here's a reminder on normal versus high triglycerides. Remember that your doctor's expertise and recommendations are a better measure of your personal health than the internet.

Normal:

A normal triglyceride range falls below 150 milligrams per deciliter.

Borderline:

A triglycerides range of 150 to 199 mg/dL is considered borderline high.

High:

Anywhere between 200 to 499 mg/dL is considered a high triglycerides range

Extremely high:

500 mg/dL or higher is a very high triglycerides range

High triglycerides are strongly related to heart disease, especially when a person also has low levels of "good" cholesterol and high "bad cholesterol." Experts disagree on the exact nature of the relationship between a high triglyceride range and heart disease, though all agree that it goes towards to making this worse, and some believe that high triglycerides magnify the effects of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

If your triglycerides range was found to be high at your last appointment, make a plan to lower your triglyceride and cholesterol levels through diet and exercise. If you can't remember getting a triglyceride range, ask your doctor next time you have an appointment. We recommend getting a lipid panel done at least once every five years for everyone over the age of twenty. Remember that you'll have to fast overnight beforehand, as meals can artificially raise triglyceride levels.

Now that you know a little bit more about triglyceride ranges you should get your levels checked, just so that you know if you need to take action, or rest easy in the knowledge that you're on the right track.