[Clinical profile of patients with very high hypertriglyceridemia from the Registry of Hypertriglyceridemia of the Spanish Atherosclerosis Society]

Abstract

Background and objective: To describe clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients with very high hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) who were attended in lipid units of the Spanish Society of Atherosclerosis (SEA).

Patients and method: Patients of the HTG Registry of SEA with at least one triglyceride concentration greater than 1,000mg/dL (n=298, HTG severe group) and those whose baseline triglycerides were between 200 and 246mg/dL (HTG control group, n=272) were included.

Results: Patients with very high triglyceride levels were younger (46.9±11.5 years vs 52.7±13 years; p<0.0001), with a larger waist circumference (100.5±10.6cm vs 98.5±11.1cm; p=0.0426), higher alcohol intake (170.7±179.1g/wk vs 118.8±106.4g/wk; p=0,0473), active smoking status (45.6% vs 26.8%; p<0.0001) and a higher frequency of pancreatitis (10.2% vs 3%; p=0.0006) than HTG control group. There was a higher percentage of patients with atherogenic dietary pattern in severe HTG group compared with the control group (138 [46.3%] vs. 94 [34.5%]; p=0,001). The multivariate analysis showed that factors associated with a triglyceride concentration greater than 1,000mg/dl were age, male sex, weight, waist circumference, alcohol, physical inactivity in non-business hours and the presence of diabetes mellitus.

Conclusions: Patients with very high HTG were usually men in the fourth decade of life, with abdominal obesity, smoking and alcohol consumption. In 60% of cases the HTG was primary, and pancreatitis the most frequently complication.