Triglyceride is fat (lipid) in the body. Broken down the term Hypertriglyceridemia means:

hyper (too much)

triglyceride (fat)

emia (in the blood)

Elevated triglycleride levels. Other fats in the blood may also be elevated, specifically Very Low Density Lipoproteins VLDL which contain triglycerides and other fats called chylomicrons. Elevated triglyceride can be seen with elevated or normal cholesterol. The most common nutrition-related causes for hypertriglyceridemia are obesity, diabetes, and alcoholism. Hypertriglyceridemia can be a side effect to other physical conditions and to some medications.

• Alcoholism

• Bulemia

• Cushing's disease

• Glycogen storage disease

• Lupus

• Nephrotic Syndrome

• Obesity

• Pregnancy

• Poorly managed diabetes

• Some beta blockers

• Cimetidine

• Corticosteroids

• Chemotherapy

• Estrogen

• Furosemide

• Isotretinoin

• Phenothiazines

• Some thiazide diuretics

Diagnosis

A twelve to fourteen hour fast is essential to an accurate test. Alcohol or a high carbohydrate meal within 24 to 48 hours of the test can render a false positive test.

• Coronary artery disease

• Pancreatitis

• Nephropathy

• Opthalmic complications

• Hepatoplenomegaly

• Hyperuricemia with excessive alcohol intake

• Glucose intolerance

Adequate consumption of adequate calories, carbohydrate, protein, fat, fiber sodium, and micronutrients to achieve and maintain a reasonable body weight and to achieve acceptable serum triglyceride levels.

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