Triglycerides

A triglycerides test is a blood test that measures the amount of a fat in your blood called triglycerides. High triglycerides may increase your risk for a heart attack or stroke. A triglycerides test can help you decide if you need to take action to lower your risk.

Your body uses triglycerides for energy. If you eat more calories than you need, your body turns the extra calories into triglycerides and stores them in your fat cells to use later. When your body needs energy, your cells release triglycerides into your bloodstream to provide fuel for your muscles to work.

If you eat more calories than you burn off, especially calories from carbohydrates, including sugary foods, and fats, you may have high triglyceride levels in your blood. A high blood triglyceride level usually doesn’t cause any symptoms, but over time, it may affect your arteries and increase your risk of heart disease. Extremely high levels of triglycerides also increase the risk of acute pancreatitis in adults and children. our health care provider may order a lipid profile, including a triglycerides test, as part of a regular checkup. If you are being treated for high cholesterol and/or triglycerides, you may also need this test to see how well your treatment is working.

How often you need to have a lipid profile test depends on your age, sex, and your risk of developing heart disease. The general age recommendations for testing blood lipid levels are:

For ages 2 to 19:

In general, start testing between ages nine and 11. Repeat the test every five years.
If there is a family history of high blood cholesterol, heart attack, stroke, or other risks for developing heart disease, test as early as age two.
For ages 20 and older, tests should be done:

Every five years for:
Males between ages 20 and 45
Females between ages 20 and 55
Every 1 to 2 years for:
Males age 45 and older
Females age 55 and older
Every year for adults over age 65
You may need to be tested more often if you have a higher risk for heart disease because you:

Have a family health history of early heart disease (a parent or sibling with heart disease before age 55 for males, and before age 65 for females)
Smoke
Are overweight or have obesity
Have unhealthy eating habits
Don’t get enough exercise
Have diabetes
Have high blood pressure
Are a male age 45 or older, or a female age 50 or older
Ask your doctor how often you need to have your blood lipid levels tested.

What happens during a triglycerides test?
During the test, a health care professional will take a blood sample from a vein in your arm, using a small needle. After the needle is inserted, a small amount of blood will be collected into a test tube or vial. You may feel a little sting when the needle goes in or out. This usually takes less than five minutes.

Will I need to do anything to prepare for the test?
You may need to fast (not eat or drink) for 9 to 12 hours before your blood is drawn. Your provider will let you know if you need to fast and if there are any special instructions to follow.