title: Determining triglyceride reductions needed for clinical impact in severe hypertriglyceridemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and pancreatitis. Target triglyceride levels associated with clinical benefit for patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia are not currently known. This study evaluates the association between lower follow-up triglyceride levels and incidence of clinical events for patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  By using claims data from 2 large US healthcare databases, we conducted a retrospective cohort study and identified 41,210 adults with severe hypertriglyceridemia (triglycerides ≥ 500 mg/dL) between June 2001 and September 2010. The date of the first severe hypertriglyceridemia laboratory result was the index date. Patients were categorized into 1 of 5 triglyceride ranges (<200 mg/dL, 200-299 mg/dL, 300-399 mg/dL, 400-499 mg/dL, and ≥ 500 mg/dL) based on a follow-up triglyceride level assessed 6 to 24 weeks after initial triglyceride levels were measured. Adjusted Cox regression models were developed to evaluate the impact of follow-up triglyceride levels on rates of pancreatitis episodes and cardiovascular events.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of patients was 50 years, 72% were male, and the mean follow-up was 825 days. Patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia with follow-up triglyceride levels <200 mg/dL experienced a lower rate of pancreatitis episodes (adjusted incidence rate ratio, 0.45; 95% confidence interval, 0.34-0.60) and cardiovascular events (adjusted incidence rate ratio, 0.71; 95% confidence interval, 0.64-0.78) with some clinical benefit in adults with severe hypertriglyceridemia with follow-up triglyceride levels 200 to 299 mg/dL and 300 to 399 mg/dL (P < .001 for trend).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We observed the greatest impact on clinical events among patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia with the lowest follow-up triglyceride levels.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Effectiveness and Safety, GlaxoSmithKline, Durham, NC. Electronic address: Jennifer.B.Christian@GSK.com.
authors.forename: Jennifer B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Christian
authors.affiliation: US Health Outcomes, GlaxoSmithKline, Philadelphia, Pa.
authors.forename: Bhakti
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Arondekar
authors.affiliation: Health Economics and Outcomes, OptumInsight, Eden Prairie, Minn.
authors.forename: Erin K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Buysman
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Ga.
authors.forename: Terry A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Jacobson
authors.affiliation: Medicines Discovery & Development, GlaxoSmithKline, Durham, NC.
authors.forename: Rose G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Snipes
authors.affiliation: Clinical Effectiveness and Safety, GlaxoSmithKline, Philadelphia, Pa.
authors.forename: Ralph I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Horwitz
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015897:Comorbidity; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015228:Hypertriglyceridemia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015994:Incidence; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000453:epidemiology; D009204:Myocardial Revascularization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D008074:Lipoproteins; D014280:Triglycerides
keywords: Cardiovascular; Epidemiology; Pancreatitis; Severe hypertriglyceridemia