Triglyceride Clearance in Hypertriglyceridemic Pancreatitis: Time Course and Its Implications for Management

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Endocrine practice : official journal of the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the time course of triglyceride (Tg) lowering in hypertriglyceridemic (HTg) pancreatitis according to the initial Tg values, causes, and interventions. METHODS: Patients hospitalized from October 2013 through December of 2018 with a diagnosis of pancreatitis associated with HTg (Tg level, ≥500 mg/dL), in the absence of other causes, were identified by medical record review. Tg lowering was retrospectively assessed for differences in relation to the initial Tg values, use of intravenous insulin, ethanol-associated versus nonethanol-associated causes, and time to Tg values of <500 versus <1000 mg/dL. RESULTS: Sixty-six cases were identified, and 45 had multiple measurements for time-course evaluation. Those with initial Tg values of <4000 mg/dL achieved Tg levels of <1000 mg/dL in <3 days, whereas 18.8% with higher values took 5-9 days. Insulin therapy was associated with a longer duration of HTg, whereas ethanol was associated with a shorter duration. Tg clearance in ethanol-associated HTg appeared independent of insulin treatment. Time to Tg levels of <500 mg/dL versus <1000 mg/dL was significantly longer when the initial Tg levels were >2000 mg/dL. CONCLUSION: A threshold of 4000 mg/dL for the initial Tg levels in HTg pancreatitis appears to separate patients who are likely to achieve Tg levels of <1000 mg/dL in <3 versus >3 days, independent of cause or treatment. Insulin therapy is appropriate for patients with hyperglycemia but appears unnecessary for those with isolated ethanol-associated HTg. A threshold Tg level of <1000 mg/dL appears more practical than that of <500 mg/dL for resuming nutritional intake.

First Page

971

Last Page

979

DOI

10.1016/j.eprac.2023.09.002

Publication Date

12-1-2023

Identifier

37714331 (pubmed); 10.1016/j.eprac.2023.09.002 (doi); S1530-891X(23)00557-8 (pii)

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS