So, you've been warned that your triglycerides have been slowly creeping up and now you have to find a way to get back to an acceptable range. Chances are, if you've been monitoring your health, you already know your blood pressure and cholesterol levels so that you can keep your heart in good condition. However, if you have a high level of triglycerides in your blood, your heart could still be at risk. You need to know what is the triglycerides normal range and work to maintain it in order to make sure that they are not undoing the work you've already done to protect your health.
What Are Triglycerides?
When you eat, your body automatically goes to work to convert any excess calories that were not burned for energy into triglycerides, which are then stored in your body's fat cells. Later, to get enough energy to use between meals, your hormones will begin to release those triglycerides for you to burn. Your levels peak if you regularly consume more calories than your body can burn at a single time.
What Is Normal?
To manage your levels you need to know what is the triglycerides normal range. A doctor can determine your level with a simple blood test where you will have to fast for a period of 9-12 hours before drawing blood. This will give your results a more accurate assessment. A normal triglyceride level should be below 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). If your results come back higher than that you'll need to take steps to lower it. Numbers between 150 and 199 mg/dL are considered to be borderline high, 200 to 499 mg/dL is considered high, and any number above 500 mg/dL is considered to be extremely high. The higher your number the more important it is for you to take active steps to bring it back down.
Triglycerides and Cholesterol:
While both triglycerides and cholesterol are types of lipids that are circulating in your bloodstream, triglycerides maintain a store of unused calories and are responsible for supplying the body with energy. Cholesterol, on the other hand, has the responsibility of building cells and hormones. Neither triglycerides nor cholesterol can dissolve in blood so they can build up over time and can contribute to the thickening of the artery walls, which can increase the risk of a stroke or heart disease. Those who have extremely high levels can also find themselves at risk for an acute case of pancreatitis.
If you find that your levels are not in the triglycerides normal range you need to take steps to lower it. Since high levels are often linked to obesity, you should take every effort to lose weight by cutting back on calories, avoiding refined or sugary foods, choosing healthier fats in your diet, reducing your intake of alcohol, and getting regular exercise. If these efforts are not enough, your doctor may recommend that you also take medication along with your new lifestyle changes to help you along.
Having a high triglyceride level doesn't have to be detrimental. For most people, with just a few lifestyle changes, things can go back to normal in a relatively short period of time.