Treatment options for hypertriglyceridemia: from risk reduction to pancreatitis.
While there has been considerable focus on the role and treatment of LDL cholesterol levels, a definitive role of triglycerides in the management of cardiovascular disease has been uncertain. Notably, with increasing triglyceride levels, there is a parallel increase in cholesterol levels carried by triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, which has prompted interest in the use of non-HDL cholesterol levels as a tool guiding interventions. Recent studies have provided evidence for an independent role of triglyceride levels as a cardiovascular risk factor, and recently, an Endocrine Society guideline was published for treatment of hypertriglyceridemia. In contrast to the relative uncertainty regarding triglycerides and cardiovascular disease, a role of very high triglyceride levels as a risk factor for pancreatitis has been well known. The present paper summarizes the underlying evidence for a risk role for triglyceride levels in cardiovascular disease and pancreatitis, current treatment recommendations and areas of future research.
Department of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; Department of Veterans Affairs, Northern California Health Care System, 2921 Stockton Blvd, Suite 1400, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA. Electronic address: lars.berglund@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu.
Lars
L
Berglund
Department of Medicine, University of Washington, School of Medicine, 1959 NE Pacific Street, UW Mailbox 356426, Seattle, WA 98195-6426, USA. Electronic address: JBrunzell@medicine.washington.edu.
John D
JD
Brunzell
Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8127, 660 South Euclid, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA. Electronic address: agoldber@dom.wustl.edu.
Anne C
AC
Goldberg
Department of Medicine, Columbia University, Presbyterian Hospital, PH 10-305, 622 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA. Electronic address: ijg3@columbia.edu.
Ira J
IJ
Goldberg
Department of Medicine, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: A.Stalenhoef@aig.umcn.nl.
Anton
A
Stalenhoef
D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003940:Diagnostic Techniques, Endocrine; D006801:Humans; D015228:Hypertriglyceridemia / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012307:Risk Factors; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000378:metabolism
D014280:Triglycerides
coronary heart disease; dyslipidemia; hypolipidemic therapy; lifestyle intervention; lipoproteins