Aims: This study was conducted to examine the relationship between triglyceride (TG) levels and a history of excessive drinking in patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia (HT).
Methods: Alcohol intake as well as other risk factors associated with HT were searched for in case records of 300 patients known to the laboratory to have had a TG level over 11.3 mmol/l.
Results: The majority of severe HT could be attributed to obesity, diabetes mellitus, excessive alcohol consumption or combinations of these. Excessive alcohol intake (over 210 g/week for males; over 140 g/week for females) was recorded for 24% of the total, and for 43% in the highest TG quartile. TG levels were significantly higher in the excessive drinkers (P < 0.001) and in patients with acute pancreatitis (P = 0.001). The incidence of pancreatitis in this cohort was 4% and limited to very high TG levels.
Conclusion: Excessive alcohol consumption was recorded in a quarter of patients with severe HT. Patients with the combination of obesity, diabetes and alcohol excess are prone to develop extremely high TG values.