Immediately after a meal, triglycerides appear in the blood as the major constituent of chylomicrons. The chylomicron remnant is then taken up by the liver so that chylomicrons disappear from the blood within 2 or 3 hours. The remaining triglycerides, plus additional triglycerides synthesized within the liver, are then repackaged as VLDL and secreted into the blood from the liver. Triglycerides are a storage form of energy. They are stored in adipose tissue and muscle, and gradually released and metabolized between meals according to the energy needs of the body.
Pregnancy can interfere with test results.
Drugs that can increase triglyceride measurements include cholestyramine, estrogens, and oral contraceptives. Drugs that can decrease triglyceride measurements include ascorbic acid , asparaginase, clofibrate, and colestipol. Veins and arteries vary in size from one patient to another and from one side of the body to the other. Obtaining a blood sample from some people may be more difficult than from others.