Familial HypertriglyceridemiaSymptoms, Doctors, Treatments, Advances & More
Learn About Familial Hypertriglyceridemia
Familial hypertriglyceridemia is a common disorder passed down through families. It causes a higher-than-normal level of triglycerides (a type of fat) in a person's blood.
Type IV hyperlipoproteinemia
Familial hypertriglyceridemia is most likely caused by genetic variants combined with environmental factors. As a result, the condition clusters in families. How severe the disorder is can vary based on sex, age, hormone use, and dietary factors.
People with this condition also have high levels of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL). LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol are often low.
In most cases, familial hypertriglyceridemia is not noticeable until puberty or early adulthood. Obesity, hyperglycemia (high blood glucose levels), and high levels of insulin are often present as well. These factors may cause even higher triglyceride levels. Alcohol, a diet high in carbohydrates, and estrogen use can make the condition worse.
You are more likely to have this condition if you have a family history of hypertriglyceridemia or heart disease before age 50.
You may not notice any symptoms. Some people with the condition may have coronary artery disease at an early age.
The goal of treatment is to control conditions that can raise triglyceride levels. These include obesity, hypothyroidism, and diabetes.
Your provider may tell you to not drink alcohol. Certain birth control pills can raise triglyceride levels. Talk to your provider about your risk when deciding whether to take these medicines.
Treatment also involves avoiding excess calories and foods high in saturated fats and carbohydrates.
You may need to take medicine if your triglyceride levels stay high, even after making diet changes. Nicotinic acid, gemfibrozil, and fenofibrate will lower triglyceride levels in people with this condition.
UChicago Medicine River East
Michael Davidson is a Cardiologist practicing medicine in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Davidson is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Familial Hypertriglyceridemia. He is also highly rated in 9 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Familial Hypertriglyceridemia, High Cholesterol, Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia (HeFH), Aortic Valve Replacement, and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). Dr. Davidson is board certified in Cardiovascular Disease Internal Medicine and Practicing Since1986.
Domino's Farms
Dr. Elif Oral is a professor in the Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes (MEND) at the University of Michigan. She completed her medical education in her home country of Turkey at the University of Istanbul. In 1996, she completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Sinai Hospital Detroit (Michigan). She then completed a fellowship in Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes at the National Institute of Health, where she also chose to stay as a Senior Fellow under the mentorship of Drs SimeonTaylor and Phillip Gorden in in the Diabetes Branch of NIDDK.Since joining the University of Michigan in 2002 as an Assistant Professor of Medicine, along with her regular faculty responsibilities, Dr. Oral also completed a Masters of Science Degree in Clinical Research Design and Biostatistics at the School of Public Health. Her clinical interests are in insulin resistance, obesity, lipid disorders, and diabetes.Dr Oral's research focuses on the importance of adipocytes in human metabolism and adipocyte hormones such as leptin. She is best known for her work showing the remarkable efficacy of leptin in rare lipodystrophy syndromes. Metreleptin received approval by the FDA (2014) and EMA (2016) as a treatment for lipodystrophy owing to a large part to her original vision and work. These studies provided the basis for her current work with three big goals: identification of novel metabolic diseases, discovery of new disease mechanisms and finding treatments for patients afflicted with these disorders. In addition to her roles as physician, educator, and researcher, Dr Oral is also the director of two programs at MEND: Atypical Diabetes Program and Obesity and Metabolic Disorders Program. She directed the Post-Bariatric Surgery Care Program from 2012 to 2021 and continues to conduct research on the cohort of patients who had bariatric surgery performed in the Michigan Bariatric Surgery program. Dr. Oral is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Familial Hypertriglyceridemia. She is also highly rated in 16 other conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Familial Partial Lipodystrophy, Congenital Generalized Lipodystrophy, Familial Hypertriglyceridemia, Gastric Bypass, and Sleeve Gastrectomy. Dr. Oral is board certified in Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism.
Mount Sinai
Deepak Bhatt is a Cardiologist practicing medicine in New York, New York. Dr. Bhatt is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Familial Hypertriglyceridemia. He is also highly rated in 47 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Heart Attack, Acute Coronary Syndrome, Coronary Heart Disease, Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI), and Heart Bypass Surgery.
Losing weight and keeping diabetes under control helps improve the outcome.
Complications may include:
- Pancreatitis
- Coronary artery disease
Screening family members for high triglycerides may detect the disease early.
Summary: The main objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of ION775 on fasting triglyceride (TG) levels in participants with hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) and severe hypertriglyceridemia (sHTG).
Summary: The purpose of the study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SHR-1918 in patients with hypertriglyceridemia. The efficacy and safety of SHR-1918 will be evaluated after 24-weeks and 48-weeks treatment.
Published Date: April 28, 2026
Published By: Michael A. Chen, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington Medical School, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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Mora S, Martin SS. Measurement of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, apolipoprotein B, and low-density lipoprotein particle concentration. In: Ballantyne CM, ed. Clinical Lipidology: A Companion to Braunwald's Heart Disease. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 3.
Robinson JG. Disorders of lipid metabolism. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 190.
Tokgözoglu L, Libby P. Lipoprotein disorders and cardiovascular disease. In: Bonow RO, Mann DL, Tomaselli GF, et al, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 13th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2026:chap 25.
Writing Committee Members; Blumenthal RS, Morris PB, et al. 2026 ACC/AHA/AACVPR/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guideline on the management of dyslipidemia: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Circulation. 2026;153(17):e1154-e1276. PMID: 41824552 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41824552/.