Peer Reviewed
Case studies
Extreme hypertriglyceridaemia: a tale of two patients
Abstract
The phenotype of extreme hypertriglyceridaemia may be associated with the onset of acute pancreatitis, patients may require differing long-term management.
Key Points
- Extreme hypertriglyceridaemia may be associated with and even cause acute pancreatitis.
- Extreme hypertriglyceridaemia generally has a genetic basis but with possible exacerbation by factors such as diabetes, alcohol consumption, obesity, nephrosis, hypothyroidism, exogenous oestrogen or other drugs.
- Although there may be other causes of acute pancreatitis present, one goal of treatment is to achieve and maintain triglyceride levels well below 10mmol/L.
- Long-term management of extreme hypertriglyceridaemia generally requires lipid-lowering drugs and/or attention to exacerbating factors.
Purchase the PDF version of this article
Already a subscriber? Login here.