Patient education: Triglyceride test (The Basics)

What is a triglyceride test? — This is a type of blood test. It measures the amount of triglycerides in your blood. Triglycerides are a type of fat in the blood.

Some triglycerides are made in the body. Other triglycerides come from foods that you eat. When the body has extra calories from food, the calories are turned into triglycerides and stored in your fat cells.

Having high triglycerides can put you at a higher risk for:

●Heart problems, including heart disease and heart attack

●Stroke

●Inflammation of the pancreas – The pancreas is an organ that makes hormones and fluids to help the body break down food. When the pancreas is inflamed, it can lead to other serious health problems.

A triglyceride test is usually measured as part of another blood test called a "lipid panel." This test measures the amounts of triglycerides and other fats, such as cholesterol, in your blood.

Why might I get a triglyceride test? — Reasons for getting a triglyceride test include:

●As part of a routine check-up

●To check your risk for certain problems, such as heart disease

●To see how well treatment is working if you have already been diagnosed with high triglycerides

●To try to find the cause of inflammation of the pancreas

How do I prepare for a triglyceride test? — For this test, you need to get a "blood draw." Your doctor or nurse will tell you where to go for this. They might tell you to avoid eating or drinking anything besides water for 8 to 12 hours before the test. You should also avoid alcohol for 24 hours before the test.

It might help to wear a short-sleeve shirt to your blood draw appointment. This makes it easier for the person drawing your blood to get to your arm.

What happens during a blood draw? — For the blood draw, a needle is used to take a small amount of blood from your arm (figure 1). Collecting the blood only takes a few minutes. The blood is then tested in a lab.

Tell the person who takes your blood:

●If you take "blood thinner" medicines or if you have a bleeding problem – They will make sure that your bleeding is under control before you leave.

●If you have a latex allergy – Some of the supplies used for blood draws might contain latex.

●If you have a preferred arm to use

Most of the time, getting blood taken does not cause problems. You might have a little soreness or bruising where the needle went in.

What do my results mean? — Your doctor or nurse will tell you when to expect your results, and will contact you with the results. Or if you use an online "patient portal," you might get an alert there when your results are ready.

If your triglyceride level is high, your doctor or nurse will talk to you about what to do next. They might need to do more tests to figure out what the cause is.

If you do have a health problem, your doctor will work with you to come up with a plan for treatment.

More on this topic

Patient education: High triglycerides (The Basics)
Patient education: Cholesterol tests (The Basics)

Patient education: High cholesterol and lipids (Beyond the Basics)