Advanced Blood Lipid Support
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Standard Medical Treatment for Hypertriglyceridemia The first, important step in choosing medical treatment for hypertriglyceridemia is to consider a patient's risk profile. This is important as, in general, triglycerides are associated with such cardiovascular risk factors as
Here are standard treatment options offered at a typical doctor's office.
High Triglycerides and Low HDL-"Good" Cholesterol If your triglycerides are high -- 200 - 499 mg/dL, or 2.3–5.64 mmol/L -- your doctor will check first whether your HDL-"good" cholesterol is low (officially, less than 35 mg/dl in men and 45 mg/dL in women). Research suggests that the combination of low HDL (under 55 mg/dL) and high triglycerides indicates a generalized disorder of lipid (fat) metabolism, also called the metabolic syndrome, or syndrome X, which may place you at high cardiovascular risk. In this case, before prescribing any medication, your doctor will recommend basic lifestyle changes - suitable for all people with elevated triglycerides - such as
Not Responding to Lifestyle Changes
Familial Hyperlipidemia
Familial combined hyperlipidemia manifests as:
Not Responding to Niacin
CAUTION: Without treatment you may eventually develop atherosclerosis leading to a heart attack or stroke.
Triglycerides Over 500 mg/dL, or 5.65 mmol/L If your triglycerides are very high - greater than 500 mg/dL, >5.65 mmol/L - your doctor may prescribe fibrate therapy, either alone or in combination with niacin, a statin, or fish oil (taken in supplement form or as 30 percent of your dietary calories). CAUTION: If left untreated, very high triglyceride levels can cause pancreatitis - the inflammation of pancreas.
Borderline-High Triglycerides and Normal LDL-"Bad" Cholesterol If your triglycerides are borderline-high -- 150 - 199 mg/dL, or 1.7–2.3 mmol/L -- with normal LDL-"bad" cholesterol -- 100 - 129 mg/dL, or 2.6 - 3.4 mmol/L -- your doctor my consider using niacin or a fibrate. However, not all doctors would agree you should be treated medically, unless you have history of vascular disease. This line of treatment though may be considered, if you have
High Triglycerides and High LDL-"Bad" Cholesterol If you have elevated triglycerides -- 200 - 499 mg/dL, or 2.3–5.6 mmol/L -- in combination with high LDL-"bad" cholesterol -- 160 - 189 mg/dL, or 4.1 mmol/L - 4.9 mmol/L -- the LDL abnormality will be treated first - with lifestyle changes, medication (usually statins), or both.
Not Responding to Statin Therapy
High Triglycerides Due to an Underlying Disorder
High triglycerides may be caused by other disorders, such as
Once the underlying disorder is identified and treated, triglyceride levels often decrease. Because heavy drinking can cause hypertriglyceridemia, you will be asked by your doctor about your drinking paterns, and suggested - if needed - to cut back or eliminate alcohol before exploring other treatment options.
Familial Hypertriglyceridemia
Familial hypertriglyceridemia is an inherited disorder that causes high triglycerides in the blood, namely, elevated concentration of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL). This leads to increased risk of:
Familial hypertriglyceridemia is caused by a gene mutation which is passed on in an autosomal dominant fashion. This means that if you get the gene from just one of your parents -- you will have the condition. How exactly the gene mutation causes an elevatation of triglycerides in the blood is unknown though. Familial hypertriglyceridemia is not contagious. However, children and other family members of the affected person should get regular lipid screenings as this condition does not usually manifest itself until puberty or early adulthood. It is frequently associated with obesity, or being overveight, hyperglycemia (high blood glucose levels), and high levels of insulin. The main long-term concern is pancreatitis (the inflammation of pancreas). The pancreas is important because it makes insulin and substances to help digest food. If the pancreas stops working properly, as in pancreatitis, these functions may stop working. In the United States, familial hypertriglyceridemia occurs in about 1 in 300 individuals. This condition, however, can be successfully managed by
Standard Prescription Drugs for Hypertriglyceridemia In the United States, there are about 85 million office visits a year by people with elevated levels of cholesterol and/or triglycerides – a condition called hyperlipidemia. Roughly half of people with hyperlipidemia is affected by hypertriglyceridemia – elevated blood triglyceride levels. To date, there have been only a limited number of prescription drugs with which to treat patients with high blood triglyceride levels.
Zocor® This well-known cholesterol-lowering drug was cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1997 to lower triglyceride levels in patients with both high cholesterol and high triglycerides. Zocor (Simvastatin) is indicated in addition to diet - after diet alone has failed to achieve target levels. However, this drug should not be used by:
Major side effects include:
Lopid® This popular antihyperlipidemic, non-statin prescription drug is used to lower both cholesterol and triglyceride blood levels. Lopid (Gemfibrozil/Systemic) is indicated when treating:
However, results of a large study using Lopid seem to show that it may cause a higher rate of some cancers in humans. As Lopid is similar to another prescription medicine, called clofibrate, it may also increase your risk of
More common side effects include:
Less common side effects include:
For Lopid, the following should be considered, as it may
Lopid is also less effective if you are greatly overweight. In most cases, it does NOT reduce the LDL-"bad" cholesterol levels. Lopid has not been studied in pregnant women. However, studies in animals have shown that high doses of Lopid may increase the number of fetal deaths, decrease birth weight, or cause some skeletal defects.
TriCor®
Available by prescription in the United States since 1998, TriCor (Fenofibrate) is indicated for the treatment of adults with hypertriglyceridemia, that is, with serum triglyceride elevations greater than 2,000 mg/dL, or 22,6 mmol/L who are
However, TriCor may interfere with
This drug is not recommended, if you have
TriCor has also side effects, such as:
Lescol® XL In 2000, a new indication for Lescol XL (fluvastatin sodium) - a cholesterol-lowering drug, available by prescription, was approved to additionally decrease triglycerides in patients with mixed dyslipidemia. Mixed dyslipidemia – both elevated cholesterol and triglycerides - is a condition which affects approximately 40 percent of patients in the U.S. Lescol XL is now currently indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise for the treatment for patients with
The most commonly reported adverse reactions to Lescol XL are:
Lescol XL is contraindicated in
Treatment with Lescol XL should be discontinued if myopathy and rhabdomyolysis are diagnosed or suspected.
Advicor® Advicor (Extended-Release Niacin/Lovastatin) was approved by the FDA as a cholesterol-lowering prescription drug in December 2001. Advicor is a combination product containing both extended-release niacin and lovastatin (Mevacor). This drug has been approved for the treatment of primary hypercholesterolemia and mixed dyslipidemia. It is indicated for patients who were previously treated with either component of Advicor, but who require additional lipid modification for LDL or HDL cholesterol and triglycerides. The most frequently reported adverse effects include the following:
Other common side effects include:
Contraindications:
Taking Advicor my interact with the following drugs:
Standard Drug Options for Treating Hypertriglyceridemia
Adverse Reactions: Testimonial People do take time to write us about their reactions to certain prescription drugs. Here’s a letter from one of our customers and his reaction to TriCor drug and then to the TGs Reduction Formula™, as well as following the diet program.
Thanks! I have been trying to reduce my triglycerides for several years now. I was placed on Tricor which produced side effects so badly that I could not take it. I started taking your TGs Reduction Formula and following the diet just under two months ago. My doctor just called and gave me my lab results. My triglycerides fell from 432 to 170, my HDL went from 30 to 48 and all the other results were normal which hasn't happened in years. It really works! Thanks again, Gene This testimonial has been presented as a true story. However, it has not been reviewed and is the opinion of the listed individual.
Statins vs. Other Prescripton Drugs In fairness, compared to many drugs, most of the statin drugs are some of the safer drugs you might take and actually have the beneficial effects of being powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents. These beneficial features are likely the reason studies show decreased cardiac deaths when they are used. Nevertheless, the statin drugs' potential side effects are significant. In some they deplete coenzyme Q 10 within the liver enough to cause liver enzyme elevations and within the muscles to cause myopathy. Also, in many physicians' experiences, statins cause depression or loss of motivation in the majority of patients, probably due to alteration of cholesterol metabolism in the brain. As a result, many of these patients are also on SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) drugs, such as Zoloft, Paxil, or Prosac. 
High Blood Triglycerides? Call 1. 705. 876. 9357 (US/Can) Monday - Friday: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm EST (Weekends & Holidays Excluded)  © 2003-2009 Getting Triglycerides Down the Natural Way. All Rights Reserved. The information on high triglycerides and TGs Reduction Formula™ provided herein is not intended to replace the medical advice. Please consult a physician for an advice about any specific condition that may be related to elevated blood/serum triglycerides. |
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