Where your DNA places you among other people, and the studies behind it.
Not tailored to your result, and not medical advice
Reduce Refined Carbohydrates and Sugars: Refined carbohydrates and added sugars - especially fructose - are among the strongest dietary drivers of elevated triglycerides, because they push the liver to make fat from excess carbohydrate. Replacing sugary drinks, white bread, and sweets with whole grains, vegetables, and protein is a first-line lifestyle step for lowering triglycerides. NHLBI (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
Eat More Oily Fish: Marine omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, lower triglycerides. Eating oily fish two to three times a week, such as salmon, mackerel or sardines, is the straightforward dietary route, and it displaces less helpful foods at the same time. Circulation (American Heart Association)
Limit Alcohol Consumption: Alcohol raises triglycerides in a dose-dependent way, and even moderate drinking can increase them in susceptible people. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute guidance recommends limiting alcohol to help manage triglycerides, and stopping entirely when levels are very high. NHLBI (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
Exercise Regularly: Aerobic exercise lowers triglycerides, in part by increasing the activity of lipoprotein lipase, the enzyme that clears triglycerides from the bloodstream. The effect is strongest when training is paired with weight loss, and even a single session can lower triglycerides for a day or two afterward. Lipids in Health and Disease
Achieve and Maintain a Healthy Weight: Excess body fat, especially visceral fat, drives triglyceride overproduction. Modest weight loss of 5-10% meaningfully reduces triglycerides along with other cardiovascular risk factors. Combining fewer refined carbohydrates with more physical activity tends to give the largest improvement. Translational Behavioral Medicine
How much of this is genetic?
Genetics explains 50% of why people differ in this trait. The rest is environment, daily habits and chance.
Heritability estimate: Heller 1993, N Engl J Med
Background and further reading
Triglycerides are the most common type of fat in the body - three fatty acid chains bound to a glycerol backbone. After a meal, calories not needed right away are converted to triglycerides and stored in fat cells, then released for energy between meals. Elevated triglycerides are one component of metabolic syndrome and are associated with higher cardiovascular risk [4].
Genetic Basis: Twin and family studies put the heritability of triglyceride levels at roughly 40-60% [1]. The trait is highly polygenic: the Global Lipids Genetics Consortium meta-analysis of about 1.65 million people identified hundreds of loci influencing blood lipids, including triglycerides [1]. Among the most studied determinants are LPL (lipoprotein lipase, the enzyme that clears triglycerides from the bloodstream), APOA5 (apolipoprotein A-V, a regulator of triglyceride metabolism), APOC3 (apolipoprotein C-III, which inhibits LPL activity), and GCKR (glucokinase regulatory protein, linking glucose and lipid metabolism). Human genetics also points to causality rather than mere correlation: rare loss-of-function variants in APOC3 lower triglycerides by roughly 40% and are associated with about a 40% lower risk of coronary heart disease [2], and a large genetic analysis of an APOA5 variant likewise found that the inherited rise in triglycerides tracked with a proportionate increase in coronary risk [3].
Modifiable Factors: Triglycerides are among the most diet-responsive lipid measures. Refined carbohydrates and sugar-sweetened beverages are the strongest dietary drivers, with fructose particularly prone to stimulating triglyceride synthesis in the liver. Alcohol raises triglycerides in a dose-dependent way, and excess calories and obesity increase production. Going the other direction, omega-3 fatty acids, weight loss, regular exercise, and cutting back on refined carbohydrates all tend to lower triglycerides; prescription omega-3 at 4 g/day reduces them by roughly 20-30% [4].
The published research behind your score, and the variants it draws on.
46 published scores from 11 studies
The triglycerides score combines 46 polygenic scores drawn from 11 published studies.
These traits are influenced by some of the same genes and variants as this one
Body Mass Index: A measure of body weight relative to height, used as a proxy for overall adiposity.
Content updated August 2026.
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