What’s the best treatment for very high triglycerides?

Question

Hello doctor,

My blood tests showed that I have very high triglycerides, and my doctor said this increases the risk for pancreatitis and heart issues. I am already eating healthily, but the numbers are still not coming down much.

Are there stronger medications than just statins (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors)? Do fish oil supplements or Fenofibrate (a fibric acid derivative) help to lower triglycerides quickly? I do not want to develop heart disease at such a young age.

Kindly help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I have read your query and can understand your concern.

You are right in saying that having high levels of fats in your blood (dyslipidemia) raises your chances of developing heart disease, especially when the bad cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, LDL) is high. Also, high levels of another type of fat called triglycerides can increase your risk of pancreatitis.

Doctors usually recommend statin medications (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors) as the first step to lower high LDL cholesterol and moderately high triglycerides. For very high triglycerides, especially when they are above 500 mg/dL, medications called fibrates, such as Gemfibrozil (a fibric acid derivative), are often the first choice.

Making changes to your lifestyle, such as losing weight and getting regular exercise or walks, can also help increase the good cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein, HDL) while lowering the bad cholesterol and triglycerides.

I suggest the following test:

Lipid profile.

This will help me understand your situation better and recommend the right treatment for you.

I hope this information is helpful.

Thank you.