Knowing what causes high triglycerides is the first step in reducing the risk of suffering the effects of them. The complications of high triglycerides can be deadly.

Let us start at the beginning. What are triglycerides? 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 even stroke.

Next let us discuss how the different levels of triglycerides are defined. The triglycerides can be measured with a blood test that tests your cholesterol. Normal triglyceride 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.

So what causes the triglycerides to be higher than average in some people? There are several likely suspects when you consider what causes high 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.

Several things can be done to lower your risk of high triglycerides. With some lifestyle changes and some diet changes, all directed at promoting better health and keeping the weight in normal range, you can help to keep yourself safe from high triglycerides. Lowering your intake of fatty foods and sugary foods can go a long way to this end.

If you feel that there is a reason to be concerned about the level of triglycerides in your system, do seek the counsel of your physician. They can run a blood test to determine your status. Note that there are almost no visible symptoms of high triglyceride levels. The only way to determine the presence of them is to be tested.