Key takeaways
- Non-fasting triglyceride tests offer a convenient alternative to fasting tests, as they do not require 9 to 12 hours of fasting beforehand. Research suggests they can be as accurate in certain situations.
- While healthy triglyceride levels are below 150 mg/dL, a non-fasting test result of 200 mg/dL or higher is considered high and may warrant a follow-up fasting test for confirmation.
- Triglyceride levels are commonly part of a lipid profile to assess cardiovascular disease risk. To manage high levels, doctors recommend lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise, or medications.
Triglycerides are a type of fat or lipid in the blood. Elevated levels can raise the risk of heart disease and stroke because they may contribute to artery hardening.
Doctors usually test triglyceride levels as part of a full lipid profile to help assess a person’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). The test may also help understand the underlying cause of pancreatitis.
Triglyceride levels increase after a person eats. Therefore, it has long been standard practice to fast (avoid eating) before taking a triglyceride test.
However, research has shown that triglyceride levels measured in a non-fasted state may be as accurate or more accurate than those measured in a fasting state at helping to predict a person’s CVD risk.
This article discusses the guidelines for fasting and non-fasting tests and who may need them.
Triglycerides in the blood increase after a meal because they travel from the gut through the bloodstream to the adipose or fat tissue for storage.
With a fasting triglyceride test, a person must fast for 9 to 12 hours before having their blood taken. Non-fasting tests do not require a person to fast beforehand. Since the 1950s, fasting before a test was the standard recommendation.
In recent years, this shifted when the
The change aimed to make testing more convenient and reduce barriers to accessing care.
A non-fasting test can be more comfortable and convenient and may be safer for people with diabetes, who can experience hypoglycemia or low blood sugar when they have been fasting.
Doctors classify triglyceride levels for adults as follows:
- Normal: Less than 150 mg/dL or 1.7 mmol/L
- Borderline high: 150–199 mg/dL or 1.7–2.2 mmol/L
- High: 200 mg/dL or 2.3 mmol/L or more
People whose triglyceride levels are high during a non-fasting test may need a follow-up fasting test to confirm the result.
The most common reason for a triglyceride test is to assess a person’s CVD risk.
Doctors recommend that healthy adults have a lipid profile, which includes a triglycerides test,
Testing may be more frequent if the individual has risk factors for heart disease, such as:
- smoking tobacco
- having overweight or obesity
- eating a diet that is high in saturated fats, salt, sugar, and alcohol, and low in fruits and vegetables
- being physically inactive
- having high blood pressure
- a family history of severely high cholesterol or premature heart disease
- pre-existing heart disease
- diabetes or prediabetes
Doctors may also order triglyceride tests to monitor the success of lipid-lowering lifestyle changes, such as improving diet and increasing exercise, or to check the effectiveness of drugs, such as fibrates, omega-3s, niacin, or statins.
Adults treating high cholesterol and high triglycerides should have a fasting lipid profile carried out 4 to 12 weeks after starting treatment. This can be repeated as necessary to monitor the effect of lifestyle changes and medications.
The goal in all triglyceride and cholesterol treatment is to lower the risk of heart disease. Healthy lifestyle choices, such as eating a nutritious diet and being physically active, are an essential part of reducing that risk.
Doctors usually measure triglyceride levels as part of a full lipid profile to help determine a person’s risk of developing CVD.
Healthy adults should have a full lipid profile every 4 to 6 years.
Whether fasting should be recommended ahead of a triglyceride test depends on the individual and the reasons for testing. To assess CVD risk, it is not necessary to fast beforehand, although if the results show high levels, a follow-up fasting test may be necessary.