Triglycerides are a type of fat (lipid) found in your blood. They are stored in your fat cells that later on released by the hormone for energy between meals. This is different from cholesterol although both can’t dissolve in blood and they circulate throughout your body with the help of proteins that transport the lipids (lipoproteins).
If you regularly eat more calories than you burn, particularly “easy” calories like carbohydrates and fats, you may have high triglycerides (hypertriglyceridemia).
Why do high triglycerides matter?
- High triglycerides are often a sign of other conditions that increase the risk of heart disease and stroke as well, including obesity and metabolic syndrome
- It can also cause acute pancreatitis.
- Sometimes high triglycerides are a sign of poorly controlled type 2 diabetes, low levels of thyroid hormones (hypothyroidism), liver or kidney disease, or rare genetic conditions that affect how your body converts fat to energy
- High triglycerides could also be a side effect of taking medications such as beta blockers, birth control pills, diuretics or steroids.