Abnormally high triglyceride levels may indicate that a person is at risk of coronary heart disease. High triglyceride levels can also indicate the onset of diabetes. So, measuring a patient’s triglyceride levels can help assess a patient’s risk of both coronary heart disease and diabetes. A normal triglyceride level of less than 150 md/dL would not give cause for concern. Anything over 200 mg/dL would be cause for concern, requiring action on the patient’s part to bring the level down.

Triglycerides, like cholesterol, are measured in mg/dl in the USA and in mm/l in most of the rest of the world, but the conversion factor for triglycerides is different from the one for cholesterol.