title: Efficacy and tolerability of multidrug therapy for hypertriglyceridemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although there is clinical evidence for the safety and efficacy of single-drug therapy and some two-drug combinations for the treatment of hypertriglyceridemia, information is limited on the use of more than 2 drugs.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated the efficacy and safety of multidrug regimens (≥3 agents) in the management of hypertriglyceridemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 40 individuals in an academic lipid referral clinic with mean follow-up of 1.98 years and an average use of 3.5 medications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the study, mean body mass index decreased significantly (P=.0127), from 29.2kg/m(2) to 28.7kg/m(2), and mean hemoglobin A1C showed a trend towards decreasing (P=.06), from 7.9% to 7.2% in patients with diabetes (n=17). All lipid parameters decreased significantly: total cholesterol level decreased significantly from (mean±SD) 334.3±282.9mg/dL to 183.8±54.8mg/dL (P=.001, mean reduction of 45%), mean (± SD) triglyceride level decreased significantly from 1900.9±4576.8mg/dL to 300.7±372.2mg/dL (P=.02), median (range) triglyceride level decreased from 599 (242-28,550) mg/dL to 301 (40-1960) mg/dL (P < .001, mean reduction of 50%), and mean (± SD) non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased significantly from 189.9±131.6mg/dL to 138.4±49.1mg/dL (P=.014, mean reduction of 27%). There were no serious adverse effects (rhabdomyolysis or increased liver function tests >3 times upper limit of normal).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In a 2-year follow-up of 40 individuals on multidrug therapy (average of 3.5 drugs) for severe hypertriglyceridemia, combination therapy was efficacious and well tolerated.
authors.affiliation: Section of Atherosclerosis and Vascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, 6565 Fannin, M.S. A-601, Houston, TX 77030, USA; and Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Venkateshwar R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Polsani
authors.forename: Vijay
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nambi
authors.forename: Salim S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Virani
authors.forename: Danièle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zoch
authors.forename: Eric Y
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Peter H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Christie M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Ballantyne