Triglycerides

Factors to consider

Triglycerides, a type of fat found in the blood, are neither bad nor good. They contribute to the calculation of total cholesterol, and levels above 150mg/dL may raise your risk for heart disease. A triglyceride level of 150 mg/dL or higher is also a risk factor for metabolic syndrome. High triglyceride levels can be genetic, related to obesity or untreated diabetes, but dietary influences are strong. High triglycerides are an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, no matter what the HDL is. High triglycerides tend to show up along with other problems, like high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, high levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol, and low levels of "good" HDL cholesterol.

The ratio of total cholesterol to HDL is an easy way to get an idea of whether your cholesterol levels are healthy.

We calculate the ratio simply by dividing the fasting blood triglyceride level by the blood level of HDL cholesterol. Here’s an example: Bill has a fasting blood triglyceride level of 100 mg/dL and an HDL-cholesterol level of 50 mg/dL. His Triglyceride:HDL ratio is 100 / 50 = 2

Low ratio values such as this one indicate good insulin sensitivity; which means that insulin is doing a great job helping to move glucose and amino acids from the blood into your cells. It also means that you have a relatively low risk of developing prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.