Explainer · updated 2026-11-09
Triglycerides, explained in plain English
Key facts
- Upper end of the typical adult interval: 150 mg/dL (Endocrine Society)
- The same upper end in mmol/L: 1.7 mmol/L (Endocrine Society)
- Level above which the risk becomes acute pancreatitis: about 1,000 mg/dL (BERGLUND 2012)
- What triglycerides are: fat travelling in the blood, most of it made in the liver or arriving from the last meal (BERGLUND 2012)
What it is
Triglycerides are fat travelling in the blood, most of it made in the liver or arriving from the last meal. They swing more than any other lipid, so a single reading is read with that in mind. Above a certain point the concern stops being the arteries and becomes the pancreas.
What the number is telling you
The figure is read beside LDL, HDL and non-HDL cholesterol, and beside your diet, alcohol intake, weight and blood sugar. One reading says little; time and trend matter.
What high or low can mean
High: A high level means fat is piling up in the blood, most often from the diet, alcohol, excess weight or diabetes. Above about 1,000 mg/dL the risk becomes acute pancreatitis, which is a different problem from the slower artery risk lower down.
Low: Inherited variants that lower triglycerides come with less coronary disease, so low is the favourable end.
What a typical result looks like
The upper end of the typical adult interval from the Endocrine Society is 150 mg/dL, about 1.7 mmol/L. The range on your own report is the one that counts.
Questions worth asking your doctor
- Was this taken after a fast?
- How do my other lipid rows read beside it?
- Is alcohol or my diet the more likely driver?
- When should this be rechecked?
If a result worries you, ask your doctor.
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