Triglycerides

General

Synonym/Acronym:
trigs, TG.

Rationale
To evaluate triglyceride (TG) levels to assess cardiovascular disease risk and evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions.

Patient Preparation
There are no activity or medication restrictions unless by medical direction. Instruct the patient to fast for 12 hr before specimen collection; fasting is required prior to measurement of TG levels. Ideally, the patient should be on a stable diet for 3 wk and avoid alcohol consumption for 3 days before specimen collection; alcohol increases TG levels. Protocols may vary among facilities.

Normal Findings
Method: Spectrophotometry.

Acceptable Guidelines by AgeConventional UnitsSI Units (Conventional Units × 0.0113)
2–9 yrLess than 75 mg/dLLess than 0.85 mmol/L
10–17 yrLess than 90 mg/dLLess than 1 mmol/L
18 yr and olderLess than 150 mg/dLLess than 1.7 mmol/L

Critical Findings and Potential Interventions
N/A

There's more to see -- the rest of this topic is available only to subscribers.