Hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) is a condition with fasting triglyceride (TG) levels in blood continuing to rise. HTG generally refers to an increase of plasma triglyceride (TG) concentrations above the 95th percentile for age and gender of a reference population. HTG has generally been classified as primary when a definite familial or inherited basis is suspected, whereas secondary HTG refers to cases where there coexist one or more identifiable secondary conditions such as metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes (T2D), alcohol consumption, various medications, renal insufficiency, pregnancy, etc. Genetic conditions with HTG include familial HTG (FHTG), familial combined hyperlipidemia (FCHL) [DS:H00153], and familial dysbetalipoproteinemia (Type III hyperlipidemia) [DS:H00156]. Three drug classes are clinically available for treatment of HTG, fibrates, niacin and n-3 fatty acids. Each of these classes has limitations. There is inconsistency in the evidence base for cardiovascular risk reduction using fibrates, the use of niacin is associated with significant side effects, and there are limited data on the use of n-3 fatty acids to reduce cardiovascular risk.
