Triglycerides are the body’s main circulating form of stored energy—fat packaged in chylomicrons and VLDL that move fuel from the gut and liver to muscles and adipose tissue. They sit at the crossroads of nutrition, liver function, insulin signaling, and vascular health, so they inform risk for fatty liver, pancreatitis, and cardiovascular disease.Most labs consider values below about 150 in the healthy range, with risk rising above that and becoming marked above 200. Levels at or toward the lower end of normal are generally most favorable. Very high levels, especially above 500, can trigger acute pancreatitis.When values are unusually low, they often reflect reduced fat availability or transport: undernutrition, malabsorption, hyperthyroidism, or rare apoB-related disorders can lower VLDL and chylomicron formation. People may notice weight loss, fatigue, or signs of fat‑soluble vitamin deficiency (vision changes, easy bruising, neuropathy). Children may show poor growth. In pregnancy, triglycerides typically rise; unexpectedly low values can be atypical.When values are elevated, the physiology points to excess hepatic VLDL production and delayed clearance—common in insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, hypothyroidism, kidney disease, or genetic hypertriglyceridemias. Most feel no symptoms, but very high levels can cause pancreatitis (severe abdominal pain), eruptive xanthomas, and lipemia retinalis, and are linked to fatty liver and atherogenic dyslipidemia. Men often run higher earlier in life; levels rise in women after menopause. Teens with obesity frequently show early elevations. Pregnancy naturally raises triglycerides and can unmask severe genetic forms.Big picture: triglycerides integrate how you handle carbohydrates and fats, interact with HDL and LDL particle quality, mirror liver and pancreatic stress, and help forecast long‑term risks for atherosclerotic disease and pancreatitis.
