At a glance
| Analyte | Triglycerides |
|---|---|
| Also called | TG, Trigly |
| Method | Enzymatic colorimetric (GPO-PAP) |
| Sample type | Serum, Plasma |
| Panel | Lipid |
| Discipline | Clinical chemistry |
| Brand | Mindray |
What Triglycerides measures
Triglycerides are the storage form of fat and are carried in lipoproteins that rise sharply after a meal, which makes this the lipid measurement most sensitive to the fasting state. A markedly raised level is a risk factor in its own right, and at high concentrations it becomes a concern for pancreatitis rather than only for cardiovascular disease. The value also matters mechanically: where LDL cholesterol is calculated rather than measured directly, triglycerides are one of the inputs, and the calculation becomes unreliable once they are substantially elevated. Laboratories that see a high triglyceride result therefore need to know whether their LDL was measured or derived.
How Philippine laboratories run it
Reported as part of the lipid profile in Philippine annual physical examination packages and cardiovascular monitoring, and scheduled with the other three lipid reagents. The fasting question is a live one on the bench rather than a theoretical caveat: patients presenting for a check-up who ate before arriving produce a raised triglyceride and, where LDL is calculated, an unreliable LDL along with it. Laboratories reporting a calculated LDL should have a documented threshold above which they decline to report it, and reagent planning should account for repeat testing when patients are recalled fasting.
Analyzers it runs on
Calibrator, controls and companion tests
Delivered with its calibrator, both control levels and the rest of the lipid panel, on the same schedule as Triglycerides.
Storage and handling
Refrigerated and kept closed when off the analyzer.
Buying Triglycerides in the Philippines
Triglycerides is supplied for the BS-600M, BS-430, BS-360E, BS-240Pro, BS-230 and BA-88A. We deliver it with Lipid Calibrator and Chemistry Control Level 1, because a run held up waiting on a separate order costs the same shift a stock-out does. Delivery is scheduled against your monthly Triglycerides count, so the bench is not rationing tests in the last week of the month. How we plan clinical chemistry supply.
Questions about Triglycerides
Does the patient have to fast for a triglyceride measurement?
It matters more here than for the other lipids. Triglycerides rise substantially after a meal, so a non-fasting sample can produce a raised result that reflects breakfast rather than the patient. Where the laboratory calculates LDL cholesterol rather than measuring it directly, a raised triglyceride also makes that calculation unreliable, so the fasting state affects two reported values, not one.
Why does the laboratory sometimes decline to report a calculated LDL?
Because the formula used to derive LDL from the other three lipid values stops being reliable once triglycerides are substantially raised. Laboratories that calculate LDL set a threshold above which they suppress it rather than report a number they do not trust. If your laboratory sees that often, it is the practical argument for adding a directly measured LDL reagent.
Order Triglycerides
Tell us your monthly Triglycerides volume and we will quote a supply schedule for BS-600M. We reply within one business day.
Request a quotation