{"id":50755,"date":"2025-04-25T21:36:26","date_gmt":"2025-04-26T01:36:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/mayo-health-library\/triglycerides-why-do-they-matter\/"},"modified":"2026-02-04T11:53:03","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T16:53:03","slug":"triglycerides-why-do-they-matter","status":"publish","type":"mayo","link":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/es\/mayo-health-library\/triglycerides-why-do-they-matter\/","title":{"rendered":"Triglycerides: Why do they matter?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"container mx-auto   wordpress-block wordpress- core-\">\n<p>If you&#8217;ve been keeping an eye on your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, there&#8217;s something else you might need to monitor: your triglycerides.<\/p>\n<p>Having a high level of triglycerides in your blood can increase your risk of heart disease. But the same lifestyle choices that promote overall health can help lower your triglycerides, too.<\/p>\n<p>Triglycerides are a type of fat (lipid) found in your blood.<\/p>\n<p>When you eat, your body converts any calories it doesn&#8217;t need to use right away into triglycerides. The triglycerides are stored in your fat cells. Later, hormones release triglycerides for energy between meals.<\/p>\n<p>If you regularly eat more calories than you burn, particularly from high-carbohydrate foods, you may have high triglycerides (hypertriglyceridemia).<\/p>\n<p>A simple blood test can reveal whether your triglycerides fall into a healthy range:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Normal &mdash; Less than 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg\/dL), or less than 1.7 millimoles per liter (mmol\/L)<\/li>\n<li>Borderline high &mdash; 150 to 199 mg\/dL (1.8 to 2.2 mmol\/L)<\/li>\n<li>High &mdash; 200 to 499 mg\/dL (2.3 to 5.6 mmol\/L)<\/li>\n<li>Very high &mdash; 500 mg\/dL or above (5.7 mmol\/L or above)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Your doctor will usually check for high triglycerides as part of a cholesterol test, which is sometimes called a lipid panel or lipid profile. You&#8217;ll have to fast before blood can be drawn for an accurate triglyceride measurement.<\/p>\n<p>Triglycerides and cholesterol are different types of lipids that circulate in your blood:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Triglycerides store unused calories and provide your body with energy.<\/li>\n<li>Cholesterol is used to build cells and certain hormones.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>High triglycerides may contribute to hardening of the arteries or thickening of the artery walls (arteriosclerosis) &mdash; which increases the risk of stroke, heart attack and heart disease. Extremely high triglycerides can also cause acute inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis).<\/p>\n<p>High triglycerides are often a sign of other conditions that increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, including obesity and metabolic syndrome &mdash; a cluster of conditions that includes too much fat around the waist, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, high blood sugar and abnormal cholesterol levels.<\/p>\n<p>High triglycerides can also be a sign of:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes<\/li>\n<li>Metabolic syndrome &mdash; a condition when high blood pressure, obesity and high blood sugar occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease<\/li>\n<li>Low levels of thyroid hormones (hypothyroidism)<\/li>\n<li>Certain rare genetic conditions that affect how your body converts fat to energy<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Sometimes high triglycerides are a side effect of taking certain medications, such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Diuretics<\/li>\n<li>Estrogen and progestin<\/li>\n<li>Retinoides<\/li>\n<li>Steroids<\/li>\n<li>Beta blockers<\/li>\n<li>Some immunosuppressants<\/li>\n<li>Some HIV medications<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Healthy lifestyle choices are key:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Hacer ejercicio regularmente.<\/strong> Aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity on most or all days of the week. Regular exercise can lower triglycerides and boost &#8220;good&#8221; cholesterol. Try to incorporate more physical activity into your daily tasks &mdash; for example, climb the stairs at work or take a walk during breaks.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates.<\/strong> Simple carbohydrates, such as sugar and foods made with white flour or fructose, can increase triglycerides.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Lose weight.<\/strong> If you have mild to moderate hypertriglyceridemia, focus on cutting calories. Extra calories are converted to triglycerides and stored as fat. Reducing your calories will reduce triglycerides.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Choose healthier fats.<\/strong> Trade saturated fat found in meats for healthier fat found in plants, such as olive and canola oils. Instead of red meat, try fish high in omega-3 fatty acids &mdash; such as mackerel or salmon. Avoid trans fats or foods with hydrogenated oils or fats.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Limit how much alcohol you drink.<\/strong> Alcohol is high in calories and sugar and has a particularly potent effect on triglycerides. If you have severe hypertriglyceridemia, avoid drinking any alcohol.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If healthy lifestyle changes aren&#8217;t enough to control high triglycerides, your doctor might recommend:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Statins.<\/strong> These cholesterol-lowering medications may be recommended if you also have poor cholesterol numbers or a history of blocked arteries or diabetes. Examples of statins include atorvastatin calcium (Lipitor) and rosuvastatin calcium (Crestor).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fibrates.<\/strong> Fibrate medications, such as fenofibrate (TriCor, Fenoglide, others) and gemfibrozil (Lopid), can lower your triglyceride levels. Fibrates aren&#8217;t used if you have severe kidney or liver disease.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fish oil.<\/strong> Also known as omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil can help lower your triglycerides. Prescription fish oil preparations, such as Lovaza, contain more-active fatty acids than many nonprescription supplements. Fish oil taken at high levels can interfere with blood clotting, so talk to your doctor before taking any supplements.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Niacin.<\/strong> Niacin, sometimes called nicotinic acid, can lower your triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol &mdash; the &#8220;bad&#8221; cholesterol. Talk to your doctor before taking over-the-counter niacin because it can interact with other medications and cause significant side effects.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If your doctor prescribes medication to lower your triglycerides, take the medication as prescribed. And remember the significance of the healthy lifestyle changes you&#8217;ve made. Medications can help &mdash; but lifestyle matters, too.<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Like cholesterol, triglycerides can cause health problems. Here&#8217;s how to lower your triglycerides.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","tags":[1686,1685,1682,1684],"class_list":["post-50755","mayo","type-mayo","status-publish","hentry","tag-anatomical-structure","tag-condition","tag-person-group-concept","tag-theme-of-focus","content_type-articles"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Triglycerides: Why do they matter? - Hancock Health<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/es\/mayo-health-library\/triglycerides-why-do-they-matter\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"es_MX\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Triglycerides: Why do they matter? - Hancock Health\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Like cholesterol, triglycerides can cause health problems. Here&#039;s how to lower your triglycerides.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/es\/mayo-health-library\/triglycerides-why-do-they-matter\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Hancock Health\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-04T16:53:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Tiempo de lectura\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"4 minutos\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hancockhealth.org\\\/mayo-health-library\\\/triglycerides-why-do-they-matter\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hancockhealth.org\\\/mayo-health-library\\\/triglycerides-why-do-they-matter\\\/\",\"name\":\"Triglycerides: Why do they matter? - Hancock Health\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hancockhealth.org\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-04-26T01:36:26+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-04T16:53:03+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hancockhealth.org\\\/mayo-health-library\\\/triglycerides-why-do-they-matter\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"es\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hancockhealth.org\\\/mayo-health-library\\\/triglycerides-why-do-they-matter\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hancockhealth.org\\\/mayo-health-library\\\/triglycerides-why-do-they-matter\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hancockhealth.org\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Mayo Articles\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hancockhealth.org\\\/mayo-health-library\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Triglycerides: Why do they matter?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hancockhealth.org\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hancockhealth.org\\\/\",\"name\":\"Hancock Health\",\"description\":\"Explore a health network built around you.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hancockhealth.org\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"es\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Triglycerides: Why do they matter? - Hancock Health","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/es\/mayo-health-library\/triglycerides-why-do-they-matter\/","og_locale":"es_MX","og_type":"article","og_title":"Triglycerides: Why do they matter? - Hancock Health","og_description":"Like cholesterol, triglycerides can cause health problems. Here's how to lower your triglycerides.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/es\/mayo-health-library\/triglycerides-why-do-they-matter\/","og_site_name":"Hancock Health","article_modified_time":"2026-02-04T16:53:03+00:00","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Tiempo de lectura":"4 minutos"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/mayo-health-library\/triglycerides-why-do-they-matter\/","url":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/mayo-health-library\/triglycerides-why-do-they-matter\/","name":"Triglycerides: Why do they matter? - Hancock Health","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-04-26T01:36:26+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-04T16:53:03+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/mayo-health-library\/triglycerides-why-do-they-matter\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"es","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/mayo-health-library\/triglycerides-why-do-they-matter\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/mayo-health-library\/triglycerides-why-do-they-matter\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Mayo Articles","item":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/mayo-health-library\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Triglycerides: Why do they matter?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/","name":"Salud Hancock","description":"Explore a health network built around you.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"es"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/mayo\/50755","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/mayo"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/mayo"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50755"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50755"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50755"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}