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Triglycerides

Lipid Profile · also called TG, Triacylglycerols

What it measures

Triglycerides are the main storage fat, carried in chylomicrons and VLDL. They are measured in the lipid profile, in pancreatitis work-up and in metabolic syndrome.

Specimen and preparation

Specimen: Serum or lithium-heparin plasma
Tube: Gold top
Preparation: Fasting 9–12 hours gives the most reliable value; avoid alcohol for 24 hours.

Reference range

Group	Range
Normal (fasting)	<150 (<1.7) mg/dL (mmol/L)
Non-fasting desirable	<175 (<2.0) mg/dL (mmol/L)
Very high	≥500 (≥5.6) mg/dL (mmol/L)

Reference ranges differ between laboratories, methods and populations. Always use the range printed on your own lab report.

Causes of high values

Non-fasting sample
Obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome
Alcohol
Hypothyroidism and kidney disease
Drugs: oestrogens, steroids, retinoids
Familial hypertriglyceridaemia

Causes of low values

Hyperthyroidism
Malnutrition
Abetalipoproteinaemia

Method

Enzymatic colorimetric (lipase, glycerol kinase, GPO-PAP)

Good to know

Levels above 1000 mg/dL carry a high risk of acute pancreatitis. Glycerol blanking may be needed if free glycerol is high.

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