[Hypertriglyceridemia: an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases?]

This review deals with the question whether hypertriglyceridemia represents an independent risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease. The accepted definition of hyper- and "borderline"-hypertriglyceridemia is presented as well as its most frequent causes. After discussion of the hypotheses of the possible ways of mechanisms by which elevated serum triglycerides may be atherogenic the available epidemiologic data are analysed: summarizing these results it can be stated that in contrast to previous statements hypertriglyceridemia seems to be an independent risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease, even after correction for other risk factors like total cholesterol, smoking, familial history, age or similar well known factors. Even the Framingham study that in earlier studies denied an independent role of the serum triglycerides showed recently that serum triglycerides correlated significantly with coronary heart disease after correction of other risk factors, especially in women. In conclusion, the recommendations of the European and American Consensus Conferences for patients with hypertriglyceridemia are presented: these conferences agree that even borderline hypertriglyceridemia should be investigated for its cause and treated by diet and if this fails by drugs.