Triglycerides mg/dL to mmol/L Converter

The short answer

To convert triglycerides from mg/dL to mmol/L, divide by 88.57 (or multiply by 0.01129). To convert mmol/L to mg/dL, multiply by 88.57. A triglyceride level of 150 mg/dL is 1.69 mmol/L, 200 mg/dL is 2.26 mmol/L, and 5.0 mmol/L is 443 mg/dL. The factor is different from the one used for cholesterol (38.67), so the two must never be mixed up.

Use the converter above to switch units in either direction and see which category your result falls into. The sections below explain the chemistry behind the factor, the categories used in guidelines, why triglycerides are so sensitive to meals and alcohol, and what very high levels mean.

What triglycerides are

Triglycerides are the main form in which the body stores and transports fat. Each molecule consists of a glycerol backbone carrying three fatty acids. After a meal, dietary fat is packaged into chylomicrons in the gut; between meals, the liver produces very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) that carry triglycerides made from excess calories, especially from sugars and alcohol. Muscle and fat tissue take up the fatty acids for energy or storage.

On a lipid panel, the triglyceride value is the total amount carried in all lipoproteins. It matters for three reasons:

• Raised triglycerides are a marker of excess triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, which carry cholesterol that contributes to atherosclerosis.
• They are a core feature of metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance.
• Very high levels – roughly 1,000 mg/dL (11.3 mmol/L) or more, and sometimes lower – can cause acute pancreatitis.

mg/dL and mmol/L explained

mg/dL is the mass of triglyceride in a deciliter of serum, used in US reports. mmol/L is the number of millimoles per liter, the SI unit used in most other countries.

Why the factor is 88.57

Triglycerides are a mixture of molecules with different fatty acids, so there is no single exact molar mass. By convention, laboratories assume the average molar mass of triolein, about 885.7 g/mol. One millimole therefore weighs 885.7 mg, so 1 mmol/L is 885.7 mg/L, or 88.57 mg/dL:

• mmol/L = mg/dL ÷ 88.57 = mg/dL × 0.01129
• mg/dL = mmol/L × 88.57

Because a triglyceride molecule is roughly 2.3 times heavier than a cholesterol molecule, the same number of millimoles corresponds to more milligrams. That is why a triglyceride result in mmol/L looks much smaller than the same result in mg/dL compared with cholesterol.

How to convert step by step

1. Confirm the value is triglycerides (sometimes labelled TG or TRIG).
2. mg/dL → mmol/L: divide by 88.57 and round to two decimals.
3. mmol/L → mg/dL: multiply by 88.57 and round to a whole number.
4. Compare with the category limits in the same unit.

Worked examples

• TG 98 mg/dL: 98 ÷ 88.57 = 1.11 → 1.11 mmol/L (normal).
• TG 176 mg/dL: 176 ÷ 88.57 = 1.99 → 1.99 mmol/L (borderline high).
• TG 2.8 mmol/L: 2.8 × 88.57 = 248 → 248 mg/dL (high).
• TG 4.5 mmol/L: 4.5 × 88.57 = 398.6 → 399 mg/dL – right at the limit above which the Friedewald LDL formula should not be used.
• TG 11.3 mmol/L: 11.3 × 88.57 = 1,000.8 → about 1,000 mg/dL, a level associated with a high risk of pancreatitis.

Triglyceride conversion chart

Triglyceride levels by category

The table below shows the adult categories from the NCEP ATP III classification, which remain the standard descriptive cut-offs in the US. The 2018 ACC/AHA cholesterol guideline uses 175 mg/dL (2.0 mmol/L) or higher as a "risk-enhancing" level for persistent hypertriglyceridemia, and defines severe hypertriglyceridemia as 500 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L) or more.

European guidance (ESC/EAS 2019) considers a fasting level below 1.7 mmol/L (150 mg/dL) as indicating lower risk and higher levels as a reason to look for triglyceride-rich lipoproteins. Some laboratories also flag non-fasting values above 2.0 mmol/L (175 mg/dL) as abnormal.

Children and adolescents

For young people, the US pediatric expert panel uses age-specific cut-offs. Acceptable triglycerides are below 75 mg/dL (0.85 mmol/L) from age 0–9 and below 90 mg/dL (1.02 mmol/L) from age 10–19; high levels are 100 mg/dL (1.13 mmol/L) or more at 0–9 and 130 mg/dL (1.47 mmol/L) or more at 10–19.

Fasting or non-fasting?

Triglycerides rise after a meal, typically peaking 3–6 hours later, and return toward baseline over the following hours. For most healthy people the increase after a normal meal is modest – often around 20–30 mg/dL (0.2–0.3 mmol/L) – which is why many guidelines now accept non-fasting lipid panels for routine screening. A fasting test (usually 9–12 hours, water allowed) is preferred when a non-fasting result is 400 mg/dL (4.5 mmol/L) or higher, when diagnosing hypertriglyceridemia, or when following up pancreatitis.

What affects triglyceride results

Triglycerides vary more than any other lipid measure, both from day to day and in response to lifestyle:

• Recent meals, especially those high in fat, sugar or refined starch.
• Alcohol, even moderate amounts in the preceding day or two, can raise triglycerides substantially in susceptible people.
• Excess weight and insulin resistance – the most common causes of mild to moderate elevation.
• Poorly controlled diabetes, which can push levels very high.
• Medications – including oral estrogens, tamoxifen, corticosteroids, retinoids such as isotretinoin, some beta-blockers, thiazide diuretics, some antipsychotics, protease inhibitors and certain immunosuppressants.
• Other conditions – hypothyroidism, chronic kidney disease, nephrotic syndrome, fatty liver disease and pregnancy (levels can double or triple by the third trimester).
• Genetics – familial combined hyperlipidemia and rarer disorders such as familial chylomicronemia syndrome.

The day-to-day biological variation of triglycerides is around 20% or more, so one borderline value is often repeated before drawing conclusions.

What high or very high triglycerides mean

Mild to moderately raised triglycerides (150–499 mg/dL, 1.7–5.6 mmol/L) mainly signal increased cardiovascular risk and often travel with low HDL, central obesity, high blood pressure and raised glucose – the cluster known as metabolic syndrome. Treatment usually focuses on the underlying causes: weight reduction, regular physical activity, limiting alcohol and refined carbohydrates, controlling blood sugar and reviewing medicines. Statins are used when overall cardiovascular risk warrants it; omega-3 fatty acid (icosapent ethyl) therapy and fibrates have specific roles decided by a clinician.

Very high triglycerides (500 mg/dL, 5.6 mmol/L, or more) need prompt evaluation because the risk of acute pancreatitis rises steeply, particularly above about 1,000 mg/dL (11.3 mmol/L). At these levels, reducing fat intake and alcohol, controlling diabetes and specific drug treatment become urgent.

Low triglycerides are rarely a concern and are common in people who are lean and active.

Triglycerides and the LDL calculation

Most laboratories calculate LDL cholesterol from total cholesterol, HDL and triglycerides. The classic Friedewald formula divides triglycerides by 5 (in mg/dL) or by 2.2 (in mmol/L) to estimate VLDL cholesterol. It is unreliable when triglycerides exceed 400 mg/dL (4.5 mmol/L), and newer equations such as the NIH (Sampson) equation or the Martin-Hopkins method are more accurate at higher levels. Our LDL calculator shows both and flags when Friedewald should not be used.

Lowering high triglycerides

Triglycerides respond more quickly to lifestyle change than any other lipid measure, often within a few weeks. The measures with the strongest evidence are:

• Reducing alcohol – for people with very high levels, stopping alcohol completely is usually advised.
• Cutting added sugars and refined starches, including sugar-sweetened drinks and fruit juice, which the liver readily converts into triglycerides.
• Losing excess weight – a 5–10% reduction in body weight typically lowers triglycerides by around 20%.
• Regular aerobic activity, which increases the clearance of triglyceride-rich particles.
• Choosing unsaturated fats, including oily fish, in place of saturated fats.
• Treating underlying conditions such as uncontrolled diabetes or hypothyroidism, and reviewing medicines that raise triglycerides.

For severe hypertriglyceridemia, dietary fat restriction is much stricter, and drug treatment (such as fibrates or prescription omega-3 fatty acids) is often needed alongside lifestyle change. These decisions are made with a clinician.

Triglycerides, HDL and the triglyceride/HDL ratio

High triglycerides and low HDL often occur together because both reflect the same underlying metabolism: when the liver produces many triglyceride-rich VLDL particles, cholesterol is exchanged out of HDL, lowering HDL levels. Some researchers use the ratio of triglycerides to HDL cholesterol as a rough marker of insulin resistance. If you calculate it, use the same unit for both values, and be aware that the ratio's numerical value differs between mg/dL and mmol/L – a ratio of 3.0 in mg/dL corresponds to about 1.3 in mmol/L – so published cut-offs only apply in the unit they were derived in. The ratio is not used for diagnosis in mainstream guidelines.

Remnant cholesterol

Some reports, especially in Europe, show "remnant cholesterol" – the cholesterol carried in triglyceride-rich lipoproteins. It is calculated as total cholesterol minus HDL minus LDL, and it rises with triglycerides. Remnant cholesterol is a cholesterol measurement, so it is converted with the cholesterol factor (38.67), not the triglyceride factor.

Triglycerides in pregnancy and in children

Triglyceride levels rise naturally during pregnancy, often doubling or tripling by the third trimester, because the body increases fat transport to support the baby. A value that would be high outside pregnancy may therefore be expected, and routine lipid testing is generally not recommended during pregnancy. Very high levels can rarely cause pancreatitis in pregnancy, mainly in women who already had an inherited lipid disorder, so a history of severe hypertriglyceridemia should be mentioned to the antenatal team.

In children and teenagers, US paediatric guidance uses lower cut-offs than for adults. For ages 0–9, a triglyceride level below 75 mg/dL (0.85 mmol/L) is acceptable and 100 mg/dL (1.13 mmol/L) or above is high. For ages 10–19, below 90 mg/dL (1.02 mmol/L) is acceptable and 130 mg/dL (1.47 mmol/L) or above is high. Rising childhood triglycerides are most often linked to excess weight and sugary drinks, and they usually improve with the same lifestyle measures used in adults.

Why the laboratory may report "lipemic" samples

When triglycerides are very high – usually above about 1,000 mg/dL (11.3 mmol/L) – the blood serum looks milky. Laboratories call this a lipemic sample. The fat particles scatter light and can interfere with other tests on the same sample, including some measurements of sodium, bilirubin and liver enzymes, and they make calculated LDL impossible. If your report carries a lipemia comment, other results on that report may need to be interpreted cautiously or repeated, and the triglyceride level itself needs prompt medical attention.

Tracking triglycerides over time

Because triglycerides fluctuate so much, it helps to repeat a borderline or high result before acting on it, ideally under the same conditions (for example both fasting, at a similar time of day, without alcohol the evening before). When a lifestyle change has been made, a repeat test after about 6–12 weeks shows whether it has worked. If your results come from labs in different countries, convert them all into one unit first; a fall from 3.4 mmol/L to 180 mg/dL looks small until you see that 3.4 mmol/L is 301 mg/dL – a 40% improvement.

Questions to ask your doctor

• Was this sample fasting, and should it be repeated fasting?
• Could alcohol, a medicine or another condition explain the result?
• Is my LDL result reliable at this triglyceride level, or do I need a direct LDL or apolipoprotein B test?
• Do I have features of metabolic syndrome or fatty liver disease that should also be checked?
• Is my level high enough to need medication, and what is my pancreatitis risk?

When to see a doctor

Discuss your results with a clinician if your triglycerides are repeatedly above 150 mg/dL (1.7 mmol/L), and promptly if they are 500 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L) or higher. Seek urgent medical care for severe upper abdominal pain spreading to the back, especially with vomiting, if you know your triglycerides are very high – this can be acute pancreatitis. A very high result in a child or young adult, or eruptive yellow skin bumps (eruptive xanthomas), should prompt evaluation for an inherited disorder.