Cardio IQ Triglycerides
It measures triglycerides, a blood fat tied to heart and metabolic risk, with convenient Quest lab ordering and PocketMD guidance from Vitals Vault.
This panel bundles multiple biomarker tests in one order—your report explains how results fit together.
Triglycerides are a type of fat (lipid) that circulates in your blood. Your body uses them for energy, but when your level is consistently high, it can signal that you are storing more fuel than you are burning and that your cardiovascular and metabolic risk may be higher.
The Cardio IQ Triglycerides test measures the amount of triglycerides in your blood from a standard blood draw. It is often ordered alongside other cholesterol and lipoprotein tests so you can see the bigger picture, but it can also be used on its own to follow a known issue.
One number never tells your whole story. Your result is most useful when you interpret it with your overall lipid profile, blood sugar markers, medications, and lifestyle factors, ideally with clinician guidance.
Do I need a Cardio IQ Triglycerides test?
You may want a triglycerides test if you have a prior history of high triglycerides, fatty liver, prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, or if your clinician has mentioned metabolic syndrome. It can also be helpful if you have a strong family history of early heart disease or you are trying to understand why your cholesterol numbers look “off,” such as low HDL cholesterol or a high non-HDL cholesterol.
This test is also commonly used when you are making changes that should affect triglycerides, like reducing alcohol intake, adjusting carbohydrate intake, losing weight, increasing activity, or starting or changing certain medications. Triglycerides can move quickly, so rechecking can show whether a plan is working.
If you recently had an illness, major stress, a change in diet, or you were not fasting when your blood was drawn, your number may not represent your usual baseline. In that case, a repeat test under consistent conditions can be more informative.
Testing supports clinician-directed care and shared decision-making. It does not diagnose a specific disease on its own, but it can point to patterns that deserve follow-up.
This is a laboratory blood test typically performed in a CLIA-certified lab; results should be interpreted with your clinician and other cardiometabolic markers rather than used as a standalone diagnosis.
Lab testing
Ready to order triglycerides testing through Quest with Vitals Vault?
Schedule online, results typically within about a week
Clear reporting and optional clinician context
HSA/FSA eligible where applicable
Get this test with Vitals Vault
Vitals Vault lets you order triglycerides testing without a referral and complete your blood draw through the Quest network. That can be useful if you are tracking a known issue, comparing fasting vs non-fasting results, or building a clearer cardiometabolic baseline.
After your results post, you can use PocketMD to get plain-language context for what “low,” “in range,” or “high” may mean for you, plus questions to bring to your next appointment. This is especially helpful when triglycerides are changing over time or when you are deciding what to retest and when.
If your triglycerides are elevated, you can also use Vitals Vault to add companion markers (like a full lipid panel or glucose/insulin markers) so you are not guessing at the driver. If your level is normal, you can use the result as a baseline and retest at a cadence that matches your risk and goals.
- Order online and draw at a Quest location
- PocketMD guidance to help you interpret results in context
- Easy re-testing to track trends over time
Key benefits of Cardio IQ Triglycerides testing
- Clarifies whether your blood fat pattern suggests insulin resistance or carbohydrate/alcohol sensitivity.
- Helps explain common lipid patterns like low HDL or a higher non-HDL cholesterol.
- Supports cardiovascular risk assessment when interpreted alongside LDL-related markers and inflammation/metabolic labs.
- Gives you a fast-moving marker to track lifestyle changes, since triglycerides often respond within weeks.
- Helps monitor response and safety when medications that affect lipids are started or adjusted.
- Flags when you may need follow-up for pancreatitis risk at very high levels.
- Creates a baseline you can revisit with PocketMD and your clinician to plan retesting and next-step labs.
What is Cardio IQ Triglycerides?
Triglycerides are the main form of stored fat in your body. After you eat, your body packages extra calories—especially from carbohydrates and alcohol—into triglycerides and transports them in lipoproteins (such as chylomicrons after meals and very-low-density lipoproteins, VLDL, made by the liver). The triglycerides can then be used for energy or stored in fat tissue.
A triglycerides blood test measures how much of this fat is circulating in your bloodstream at the time of the draw. Because triglycerides rise after eating, many clinicians prefer a fasting sample when they are evaluating cardiometabolic risk or monitoring treatment, although non-fasting testing can still be useful in some situations.
Triglycerides are closely linked to metabolic health. Persistently high levels often travel with insulin resistance, higher blood sugar, excess visceral fat, fatty liver disease, and an “atherogenic” lipid pattern (more small, dense LDL particles and lower HDL). That is why triglycerides are usually interpreted as part of a broader risk picture rather than as an isolated number.
Why triglycerides matter for heart and metabolic health
Triglycerides themselves are not the only driver of plaque, but they are a strong signal that triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and their remnants may be elevated. Those remnants can contribute to atherosclerosis, especially when other risk factors are present. High triglycerides also often indicate that your liver is producing more VLDL, which can worsen other lipid markers.
Fasting vs non-fasting results
After a meal, triglycerides can rise for several hours, and the size of the rise depends on what you ate, alcohol intake, and your underlying metabolism. If you are comparing results over time, try to keep conditions consistent (for example, fasting 9–12 hours and avoiding alcohol the day before) so you can tell whether the change is real.
What do my Cardio IQ Triglycerides results mean?
Low triglycerides
Low triglycerides are usually not a problem and often reflect lower stored fuel in circulation, which can happen with a lower-calorie diet, lower carbohydrate intake, or higher activity. They can also be seen with malabsorption, hyperthyroidism, or certain medications, but symptoms and other labs typically guide whether that matters. If your triglycerides are very low and you are losing weight unintentionally, have chronic diarrhea, or have other concerning symptoms, it is reasonable to review the result with your clinician.
Optimal (in-range) triglycerides
An in-range triglycerides result generally suggests your body is handling dietary fat and carbohydrate in a balanced way at the time of testing. It is still worth looking at the rest of your lipid profile, because LDL-related risk can be elevated even when triglycerides are normal. If you are tracking progress, consistent in-range results over time are more meaningful than a single snapshot.
High triglycerides
High triglycerides often point to insulin resistance, excess calorie intake (especially refined carbohydrates), alcohol effects, or increased liver production of VLDL. Mild to moderate elevations are common and usually call for a broader cardiometabolic workup and lifestyle-focused changes, sometimes with medication depending on your overall risk. Very high triglycerides can increase pancreatitis risk, which is a reason to treat urgently and look for secondary causes such as uncontrolled diabetes, certain medications, or genetic lipid disorders.
Factors that influence triglycerides
Your triglycerides can change based on fasting status, what you ate the day before, and recent alcohol intake. They also tend to rise with weight gain, poor sleep, sedentary time, uncontrolled blood sugar, hypothyroidism, kidney disease, and fatty liver. Some medications can raise triglycerides (for example, certain estrogen therapies, steroids, retinoids, and some HIV therapies), while others can lower them. Because of this variability, retesting under similar conditions and reviewing companion markers (HDL, non-HDL, ApoB, glucose/A1c) often gives the clearest interpretation.
What’s included
- Triglycerides
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to fast for a triglycerides test?
Fasting is often recommended because triglycerides rise after meals. If you are monitoring treatment or comparing results over time, a consistent 9–12 hour fast (water is fine) helps make results easier to interpret. If your test was non-fasting, your clinician may still use it, but they may repeat it fasting if the number is high or unexpected.
What is a normal triglycerides range?
“Normal” depends on the lab’s reference range, but many reports consider fasting triglycerides under 150 mg/dL to be within range. Some clinicians aim lower for cardiometabolic optimization, especially if you have insulin resistance or other risk factors. Always interpret your number using the reference interval on your report and your overall risk profile.
How quickly can triglycerides improve?
Triglycerides can change within days to weeks because they respond to recent diet, alcohol intake, weight changes, and blood sugar control. If you make a meaningful change—such as reducing alcohol, cutting back on refined carbs, or improving diabetes control—retesting in about 4–12 weeks is commonly used to assess the effect, unless your clinician recommends sooner follow-up.
Why are my triglycerides high but my LDL is normal?
Triglycerides and LDL cholesterol reflect different parts of lipid metabolism. High triglycerides often signal higher VLDL production and insulin resistance, and LDL cholesterol can still look “normal” even when LDL particle number or ApoB is elevated. If this pattern shows up, it is reasonable to discuss additional markers (like ApoB) and to review glucose/insulin-related labs.
Can alcohol raise triglycerides?
Yes. Alcohol can increase liver triglyceride production and can raise your level noticeably, especially if you drink the day before testing or if you are sensitive to it. If you are trying to understand your baseline, avoiding alcohol for 24–72 hours before a fasting lipid test can reduce this confounding effect.
What triglyceride level is dangerous?
Risk is a spectrum, but very high triglycerides (often 500 mg/dL or higher, and especially above 1,000 mg/dL) can raise the risk of pancreatitis and usually needs prompt medical attention. If your result is in that range, contact your clinician quickly and ask about secondary causes and urgent treatment steps.