Hypertriglyceridemia, an Underestimated Cardiovascular Risk Factor: An Epidemiological Study of the Rome Area

Hypertriglyceridemia (triglycerides ≥200 mg/dL) is a major cardiovascular risk factor. Despite the high incidence of this condition in the Italian population, epidemiological information remains limited.

To analyze a large database of clinical charts from general practitioners in the Rome area of Italy.

In this study, the DATAMEG database of patients treated in the Rome area between 2000 and 2015 was analyzed. The database was searched for information on (1) all patients diagnosed with hypertriglyceridemia, (2) all prescriptions for the treatment of hypertriglyceridemia, and (3) all patients who had an acute myocardial infarction.

The overall prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia was 4.4% (3647/82,595). Among patients followed from January 1, 2015 onwards, 2786/55,345 (5.0%) were diagnosed with hypertriglyceridemia. Of these, 418 (15.0%) received at least one prescription of triglyceride-lowering treatment. Over the same period, 1653 patients had at least three measurements of triglycerides ≥200 mg/dL, with only 357 (21.6%) receiving at least one prescription of triglyceride-lowering drugs in the year following the last measurement. Furthermore, 513 patients had at least one measurement of ≥500 mg/dL. Of these, only 246 (48.0%) received at least one prescription of triglyceride-lowering drugs in the year following the last measurement. In total, 3485 patients had an acute myocardial infarction (prevalence, 4.3%) in 2015. Of these, only 288 (8.3%) received at least one prescription of triglyceride-lowering drugs in the year following this event.

These findings confirmed a pattern of inadequate treatment of hypertriglyceridemia in the Rome area.