What Causes High Triglycerides?

By Staff WriterLast Updated April 11, 2020

High triglyceride levels are caused by lifestyle and health conditions, including obesity, poorly controlled diabetes, hypothyroidism, kidney disease, eating more calories than are burned and excessive alcohol consumption, according to WebMD. Certain medications, including steroids, beta-blockers, diuretics, estrogen and birth control pills, can also cause high triglyceride levels.

Triglycerides are a kind of fat in the bloodstream that are usually used to provide energy, but too many can cause health problems, including metabolic syndrome when paired with other factors. Triglyceride levels of less than 150 are normal, less than 200 are borderline high, less than 500 are high and levels 500 and over are very high, according to WebMD.