Knowing what the causes of high triglycerides are can help you prevent issues later on. Paying close attention can be a life saver.

First let us start with what triglycerides are. Triglycerides are a type of fat found in your blood that your body uses for energy. Some triglycerides are important for good health. However, too many triglycerides can cause heart disease, diabetes and stroke and could be a sign that there is a metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a combination of high blood pressure, high blood sugar and too much fat around the waist, low HDL ("good") cholesterol and high triglycerides. Metabolic syndrome increases your risk for things such as heart disease, diabetes and stroke.

The triglycerides can be measured with a blood test that tests your cholesterol. Normal triglycerides levels are less than 150, borderline high is considered to be at 150 to 199, high is considered at 200-499 and anything over 500 is considered to be very high.

There are several causes of high triglycerides:

. Triglycerides.

. Obesity

. Poorly controlled diabetes

. Kidney disease

. Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)

. Drinking too much alcohol

. High caloric intake.

There are some medications that can also raise your triglycerides level as well such as tamoxifen, steroids, beta-blockers, diuretics, estrogen, birth control pills. In some cases this condition can also be genetic.

There are typically no symptoms of the high triglycerides. However, if you have a genetic condition you may see fatty deposits beneath the skin.

There are some ways you can lower your risk of high triglycerides. The biggest thing you will want to do is make some diet and lifestyle changes. Keeping your weight healthy is an excellent start. You can do this by regular exercise, limiting the intake of fatty and sugary foods and limiting your alcohol levels.

If you are concerned about the possibility of having high triglycerides for any reason, you should definitely have a conversation with your physician. Although it is likely that you will have cholesterol test as a part of your regular physical, you may ask some question anyway to be sure you are on the same page as your physician. They will be able to answer any concerns you have about this issue.