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Contents
  • Statins and Their Benefits
  • Marine Omega-3 Fatty Acids
  • The Role of Fibrates

Which Medications Can Help Lower Triglycerides?

Which Medications Can Help Lower Triglycerides?

The Big Picture

Medications play a significant role in managing hypertriglyceridemia, especially when lifestyle changes aren't enough. This article highlights key drugs used in treatment.
Contents
  • Statins and Their Benefits
  • Marine Omega-3 Fatty Acids
  • The Role of Fibrates

Statins and Their Benefits

Statins are primarily used to lower LDL cholesterol and reduce cardiovascular risk. However, they also have mild to moderate triglyceride-lowering effects. High-intensity statins like atorvastatin and rosuvastatin can reduce triglycerides by up to 44%, which may help lower the risk of pancreatitis.

Marine Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Marine omega-3 fatty acids, such as icosapent ethyl, are effective in lowering triglyceride levels. They can reduce triglyceride levels by 20 to 50% depending on the dose and baseline triglyceride levels. They are often recommended for patients at high cardiovascular risk.
Medications such as statins, marine omega-3 fatty acids, and fibrates are used to lower triglyceride levels and manage hypertriglyceridemia.

The Role of Fibrates

Fibrates, like fenofibrate and gemfibrozil, are potent triglyceride-lowering agents. They can reduce triglyceride levels by up to 70% and are often used when triglyceride levels remain high despite other treatments. However, they may interact with statins and require careful monitoring.

FAQs

Do statins lower triglycerides?

Yes, high-intensity statins can significantly lower triglyceride levels.

What are omega-3 fatty acids?

They are fats found in fish oil that help reduce triglyceride levels.

How effective are fibrates?

Fibrates can lower triglycerides by up to 70%, making them very effective.

Are there risks with these drugs?

Yes, there can be side effects and drug interactions, especially with fibrates.

Key Takeaways

Medications like statins, omega-3s, and fibrates are vital in managing high triglyceride levels.
Talk to Doctronic to find out which medication might be right for your triglyceride management.
Additional References
  1. Bakker-Arkema RG, Davidson MH, Goldstein RJ, et al. Efficacy and safety of a new HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, atorvastatin, in patients with hypertriglyceridemia. JAMA 1996; 275:128.
  2. Bhatt DL, Steg PG, Miller M, et al. Cardiovascular Risk Reduction with Icosapent Ethyl for Hypertriglyceridemia. N Engl J Med 2019; 380:11.
This article has been reviewed for accuracy by one of the licensed medical doctors working for Doctronic.