In
Medicine , (or "Hypertriglyceridaemia") denotes high (''hyper-'') blood levels (''-emia'') of
Triglyceride s, the most abundant
Fat ty molecule in most organisms. It has been associated with
Atherosclerosis , even in the absence of
Hypercholesterolemia (high
Cholesterol levels). It can also lead to
Pancreatitis in excessive concentrations. Very high triglyceride levels may also interfere with
Blood Test s;
Hyponatremia may be reported spuriously (''pseudohyponatremia'').
A related term is "Hyperglyceridemia" or "Hyperglyceridaemia", which refers to a high level of all
Glyceride s, including monoglycerides, diglycerides and triglycerides.
Treatment of hypertriglyceridemia is by restriction of carbohydrates and fat in the
Diet , as well as with
Niacin ,
Fibrate s and
Statin s (three classes of drugs). Increased
Fish Oil intake may substantially lower an individual's triglycerides.
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Clinical Practice Guidelines by the
National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) suggests that pharmacotherapy be considered with triglycerides are over 200 mg/dl.
4 The guidelines state "the sum of LDL + VLDL cholesterol (termed non-HDL cholesterol
cholesterol - HDL cholesterol ) as a secondary target of therapy in persons with high triglycerides (200 mg/dL). The goal for non-HDL cholesterol in persons with high serum triglycerides can be set at 30 mg/dL higher than that for LDL cholesterol (
Table 9 ) on the premise that a VLDL cholesterol level 30 mg/dL is normal."
In the
Helsinki Heart Study , a
Randomized Controlled Trial of asymptomatic men ages 40-55 without heart disease, 600 mg of gemfibrozil twice daily reduced cardiac endpoints at 5 years from 4.14% to 2.73%. This means that 54 patients must be treated for five years to prevent one cardiac event (
Number Needed To Treat is 54).
5
In the
Veterans Affairs High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Intervention Trial Study (VA-HIT), a
Randomized Controlled Trial of men with known heart disease HDL cholesterol of 40 mg/dl or less , 600 mg of gemfibrozil twice daily reduced cardiac endpoints ( nonfatal myocardial infarction or death from coronary causes) at 5 years from 21.7% to 17.3%. This means that 23 patients must be treated for five years to prevent one cardiac event (
Number Needed To Treat is 23).
6
