Triglycerides Screening Numbers
Triglycerides are another type of fat in the blood. Your body makes triglycerides from the fat you eat. Your body makes more triglycerides when you eat too many calories, drink alcohol, or smoke. High triglyceride levels put you at increased risk for heart disease.
A healthy triglyceride level is less than 150. To have a healthy triglyceride level:
- Maintain a healthy weight or lose weight if you are overweight.
- Be physically active on all or most days of the week.
- Eat a heart healthy diet that is low in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol.
- Limit candy, sweets, regular soda, juice, and other drinks high in sugar.
- Avoid smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol. Smoking raises triglycerides and lowers HDL cholesterol. Excess alcohol also raises triglycerides.
What your triglyceride numbers mean
| Level | Number | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | Less than 150 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter) |
Good for you! Maintain a healthy lifestyle. |
| Borderline high | 200-239 mg/dL | Aim for a healthy weight and be more physically active. |
| High | 200-499mg/dL | Aim for a healthy weight and be more physically active. Watch out for other risk factors such as overweight or obesity, diabetes, low HDL, and high blood pressure. |
| Very high | More than 500 | See your doctor right away. |
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