Clinical Practice Guideline

Evaluation and Treatment of Hypertriglyceridemia

September 19, 2012

Full Guideline: Evaluation and Treatment of Hypertriglyceridemia: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline
JCEM September 2012

Lars Berglund, John D. Brunzell, Anne C. Goldberg, Ira J. Goldberg, Frank Sacks, Mohammad Hassan Murad, Anton F. H. Stalenhoef

Objective:

The aim was to develop clinical practice guidelines on hypertriglyceridemia.

Conclusions

  • The Task Force recommends that the diagnosis of hypertriglyceridemia be based on fasting levels, that mild and moderate hypertriglyceridemia (triglycerides of 150–999 mg/dL) be diagnosed to aid in the evaluation of cardiovascular risk, and that severe and very severe hypertriglyceridemia (triglycerides of > 1000 mg/dl) be considered a risk for pancreatitis.
     
  • The Task Force also recommends that patients with hypertriglyceridemia be evaluated for secondary causes of hyperlipidemia and that subjects with primary hypertriglyceridemia be evaluated for family history of dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease.
     
  • The Task Force recommends that the treatment goal in patients with moderate hypertriglyceridemia be a non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level in agreement with National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel guidelines.
     
  • The initial treatment should be lifestyle therapy; a combination of diet modification and drug therapy may also be considered.
     
  • In patients with severe or very severe hypertriglyceridemia, a fibrate should be used as a first-line agent.

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