Management of hypertriglyceridaemia

Abstract

Hypertriglyceridaemia is a common finding in medical practice. The reduction of triglyceride levels may contribute to reduce the cardiovascular risk (at least in patients with low HDL cholesterol) and to avoid the occurrence of acute pancreatitis (in case of severe hypertriglyceridaemia). The discovery of causes of hypertriglyceridaemia (comorbidities, medications) may lead to specific measures. Otherwise, the focus should be put on dietary advises first (reduced caloric intake to promote weight loss, less alcohol, less sucrose), which, if well conducted, may result in spectacular results. If they fail, some pharmacological approaches may be considered, but with generally a limited success rate. Among them, fenofibrate is the best studied and has been shown to be useful for cardiovascular prevention, especially if low HDL cholesterol is associated with hypertriglyceridaemia in patients with type 2 diabetes.