How to Lower Triglycerides with Medications and Lifestyle Changes

When you get blood work done at the doctor’s office, you might notice a value for triglycerides on your results. High levels can be concerning. However, triglycerides respond well to treatment.

Romit Bhattacharya, MD, a general and preventive cardiologist with the Mass General Brigham Heart and Vascular Institute, shares the most effective strategies for lowering triglycerides.

How high triglycerides impact heart health

Triglycerides are a type of fat that your body makes and absorbs from food to be used for energy. Under normal circumstances, your body can break them down quickly to use for fuel. But factors such as age, diet, genetics, hormones, and medical conditions can slow the process.

“Triglycerides are supposed to be an efficient fuel delivery and fat storage system, but when they accumulate, they can become a problem,” Dr. Bhattacharya notes. Elevated triglycerides build up in the arteries, increasing your risk of heart attack and stroke.

A healthy triglyceride level is anything below 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). If your bloodwork shows a number that’s 150 mg/dL or higher, your doctor will recommend taking steps to lower it.

5 ways to lower triglycerides naturally

Lowering triglycerides starts with changing your habits. “Lifestyle is the most important factor for lowering triglycerides,” Dr. Bhattacharya says. What you eat, how much you move, and other daily habits can make a dramatic difference.

1. Exercise regularly.

Exercise is one of the best ways to lower your triglycerides. “Aerobic exercise in particular is very powerful,” Dr. Bhattacharya says.

When you exercise regularly, your body gets smarter about using energy. Your muscles learn to burn both carbohydrates and fat for fuel. Even when you’re just sitting around, your body becomes more efficient at pulling triglycerides from your blood.

At the same time, exercise helps your body produce an enzyme called lipoprotein lipase. It breaks down triglycerides so your muscles can use them for energy.

These effects keep triglycerides from lingering in the bloodstream after meals. “The result is lower post-meal triglycerides—sometimes by up to 30% or even 50%,” Dr. Bhattacharya says.

As a rule, experts recommend getting 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and two full-body strength training sessions per week. But every little bit helps. “If you can’t get 150 minutes, but you can get 10 minutes, get the 10 minutes in,” Dr. Bhattacharya says. Even something as simple as brisk walking can make a real difference.

2. Eat a heart-healthy diet.

“The foods we eat make a big difference in terms of what substances end up in our bodies,” says Dr. Bhattacharya. This is especially true when it comes to triglycerides. “They’re the version of fat that comes most directly from our meals,” he explains.

The biggest dietary culprits of high triglycerides are foods high in added sugars, refined carbohydrates, and saturated fats. These include:

• Baked goods
• Fried foods
• Red and processed meat
• Sugary drinks
• White bread and pasta

Instead of these problem foods, make a heart-healthy grocery list and focus on nutrient-dense options. “Diets rich in vegetables, whole grains, fish, nuts, and olive oil tend to improve our overall lipid profile,” Dr. Bhattacharya says. That includes both cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

The key is making simple swaps. Dr. Bhattacharya recommends choosing whole, unprocessed foods over packaged ones whenever possible. For example:

• Brown rice instead of white rice
• Fresh apples instead of apple juice
• Grilled chicken instead chicken nuggets

3. Lose weight.

Weight loss can make a big difference in your triglyceride levels by improving how your body uses insulin. “Insulin is not just a glucose hormone, it’s a master metabolic regulator,” Dr. Bhattacharya explains. This hormone controls both fat storage and triglyceride production based on what you eat.

When you carry extra weight, your fat tissue releases substances that interfere with insulin’s normal function. This forces your pancreas to work harder to produce more. Higher insulin levels then signal your body to store more fat and make more triglycerides, creating an unhealthy cycle.

Losing weight helps break this pattern by making your body more responsive to insulin. “Even a modest weight loss of 5 to 10 pounds improves insulin sensitivity and reduces the flood of fatty acids into the liver,” says Dr. Bhattacharya. When insulin works better, your body gets fewer signals to produce triglycerides.

4. Quit smoking.

Smoking doesn’t directly raise triglycerides but damages blood vessels and alters how the body handles fats. It increases oxidative stress and inflammation, slowing the clearance of triglyceride-rich particles. It’s like having a traffic jam in your bloodstream.

To make matters worse, smoking also lowers HDL cholesterol. This is the “good” cholesterol that helps remove fats from your blood.

So, if you smoke, quitting is one of the best ways to improve your triglyceride levels.

5. Cut alcohol.

Alcohol can significantly raise your triglyceride levels. “Alcohol raises post-meal triglycerides by slowing their clearance and, with regular or heavier use, stimulates the liver to make more triglyceride-rich particles,” Dr. Bhattacharya explains. When your liver makes more fat, those triglycerides end up in your bloodstream.

For people with elevated levels, Dr. Bhattacharya’s advice is simple: stop drinking entirely. “Zero is the best number of drinks,” he says. This single change can help you make real progress.

Medications to reduce triglycerides

Lifestyle changes are a crucial step in lowering triglycerides. But sometimes, people need a little help. “After we’ve addressed things like diet, exercise, and alcohol intake, then we can start talking about medications,” Dr. Bhattacharya says.

Medication is appropriate for people who have developed atherosclerosis or have a condition like diabetes that puts them at risk for heart attack. “We’re not usually starting medications in people who just have a risk factor and are able to get rid of it with lifestyle changes,” Dr. Bhattacharya says.

The first medication choice is typically statins, which primarily target “bad” LDL cholesterol. While statins don’t directly lower triglycerides, they help reduce overall cardiovascular risk. “Any medications that are used to treat cholesterol can be complementary,” Dr. Bhattacharya says. That’s because cholesterol and triglycerides often work together to affect heart health.

For people who need more targeted treatments for triglycerides, doctors may add other medications:

• Icosapent ethyl (Vascepa®), a purified fish oil medication that’s especially effective for very high triglycerides
• Ezetimibe, which mainly lowers LDL cholesterol and has a modest triglyceride-lowering effect
• Fibrates, a class of drugs that specifically targets triglycerides and can lower them significantly

How long does it take to lower triglyceride levels?

“We’re very lucky in that triglycerides are the most responsive element of the lipid panel to lifestyle changes,” Dr. Bhattacharya says. This means you’ll see results faster than with cholesterol levels.

You might see improvements within days to weeks of eating better or exercising more. However, more substantial changes take 6 to 12 weeks. And lasting results take at least 6 months, Dr. Bhattacharya says. The key is staying consistent with your healthy habits and medications as prescribed by your doctor.