Hypertriglyceridaemia

Hypertriglyceridaemia

Levels >10 mmol/L require immediate medical attention: the major risk is pancreatitis, which can be life-threatening. See Acute Pancreatitis for further details.
Triglyceride levels may be as high as 50-100 mmol/L. The serum is typically lipaemic and examination of the retinal vessels reveals lipaemia retinalis. Patients may present with eruptive xanthomata.

In This Section

Causes

Familial syndromes/primary hyperlipidaemias.
Alcohol.
Diabetes mellitus.
Drugs (thiazides, steroids, oestrogens).
Hypothyroidism.

Treatment

Diet
- Elimination of alcohol and refined sugars.
- Reduction of total fat and calorie intake with weight loss.
Drugs
- Stop contributory drugs.
- Treatment with omega 3 fatty acids, nicotinic acid and fibrates. Results can be disappointing. Diet is pivotal.
Treat diabetes to normalize glucose.

Follow-Up

Specific dietary advice (dietitian) and Specialist medical review is recommended.


Information about this CDHB document (1395):
Document Owner:	Blue Book Editorial Committee (see Who's Who)
Issue Date:	December 2013
Next Review:	December 2015
Keywords:
Note: Only the electronic version is controlled. Once printed, this is no longer a controlled document.
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Topic Code: 1395