The Endocrine Society recommends that mild and moderate triglyceride levels of 150 to 999 mg/dL) be diagnosed to aid in the evaluation of cardiovascular risk, and that severe and very severe triglyceride levels of more than 1,000 mg/dL) be considered a risk for pancreatitis.
The guidelines appeared in Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
--All adults should be screened for elevated triglyceride levels at least every 5 years as part of a lipid panel.
--Diagnosis should be based on fasting triglyceride levels.
--Medications and endocrine conditions should be ruled out as potential causes of elevated levels.
--For patients with primary hypertriglyceridemia, clinicians should assess other cardiovascular risk factors and family history.
--Mild-to-moderate hypertriglyceridemia (triglycerides of 150-999 mg/dL) should initially be managed with lifestyle therapy.
--For patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia (1,000 mg/dL or higher), a fibrate should be the first-line therapy.
Hypertriglyceridemia is high across the entire population, reflecting the overall increase in obesity in the past few decades, the society's task force stated. For example, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey have found that one third of respondents had serum triglycerides of at least 150 mg/dL.