Triglycerides
What it measures, and what changes the number.
Triglycerides are the most common type of fat in the blood. They come from food and are also made by the liver, and they are carried in lipoprotein particles such as VLDL and, after a meal, chylomicrons. The test measures the total triglyceride content of the sample.
It is part of the standard lipid panel with total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. When LDL is calculated rather than measured directly, the triglyceride result is used in the formula, and ratios such as triglycerides to HDL are derived from it.
Triglycerides rise noticeably after eating and after alcohol, so many labs ask for a fasting sample, although some now accept non-fasting samples and note this on the report. Labs may print it as Triglicèrids or Triglicéridos.
Often read alongside: Total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, VLDL cholesterol, Triglycerides/HDL ratio