What are normal and abnormal triglyceride levels?
In healthy adults, the following numbers are used to determine if your triglycerides level is normal, borderline, or high: Normal: less than 150 mg/dL Borderline high: 150 to 200 mg/dL High: 200 to 499 mg/dL Very high: 500 mg/dL or more How do triglyceride levels get high? When you eat too many calories or don’t get enough exercise, your triglycerides can go up. It’s just like having too much “bad” cholesterol or not enough “good” cholesterol—it may cause you to have a heart attack or a stroke. And like cholesterol, older people tend to have higher triglyceride levels because they exercise less and their metabolism is often not as good as when they were younger. Things that can increase triglycerides are: Eating a lot of carbohydrates: sugar, white bread, potatoes, pasta Weighing too much Not getting enough exercise Drinking too much sweet drinks, alcohol Smoking cigarettes Taking medications, such as hormone therapy Just getting older People who have problems like diabetes or kidney d
