Which medications can lower triglyceride levels?

Key takeaways

• High triglyceride levels (more than 200 milligrams per deciliter) can raise your risk of heart attack, stroke, and other serious heart conditions.
• Medications to lower triglycerides include niacin, fibrates, icosapent ethyl (Vascepa), statins, and olezarsen. Healthcare professionals typically prescribe these alongside dietary changes.
• Lifestyle changes, such as maintaining a medically recommended weight, regular physical activity, eating heart-healthy foods, and limiting saturated fats and added sugar, can help lower triglyceride levels.

Triglycerides are a type of fat in a person’s body. They come from the foods we eat. A person’s body converts calories it does not need immediately into triglycerides. It then stores and uses them later for energy.

Some triglycerides are important for good health. However, having high triglyceride levels (more than 200 milligrams per deciliter) in a person’s blood can raise their risk of several heart conditions. Triglycerides are different from cholesterol, which is a waxy, fat-like substance found in all body cells.

Several conditions, lifestyle factors, and some medications can raise triglyceride levels. Healthcare professionals may prescribe a person medication to manage or lower their levels. Some lifestyle changes can also lower a person’s triglyceride levels.

Many foods naturally or artificially contain niacin, also known as vitamin B3. The two main forms of niacin in supplements or medication are nicotinamide and nicotinic acid.

Niacin helps a person’s body turn food they eat into energy. It is

Healthcare professionals may prescribe niacin to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis develops when plaque builds up in the arteries, narrowing them and making it difficult for blood to flow through.

However, niacin can interact with other medications and supplements, and higher doses can also cause side effects. As such, it is important to take niacin as a doctor prescribes. Healthcare professionals should always approve and supervise a person’s use of high niacin doses.

Fibrates are a type of medication known as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor agonists. Healthcare professionals

They

• gemfibrozil
• fenofibrate
• fenofibric acid

Healthcare professionals prescribe fibrate medication alongside dietary plan changes.

Icosapent ethyl (IPE) is the active ingredient in Vascepa. This is a prescription medication that healthcare professionals use to help lower blood triglycerides in adults, alongside dietary changes, and help reduce the risk of heart conditions in people with certain risk factors, alongside statin medications.

They prescribe it to people along with lifestyle changes, such as a nutritious diet and physical activity. The IPE in Vascepa is a modified form of eicosapentaenoic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid.

Individuals can consume omega-3 acids through foods such as fish and flaxseed. Omega-3s are also available as a dietary supplement. They have several health

Healthcare professionals may

In some countries, Volanesorsen is a medication for

FCS is a rare genetic condition that causes people to have high triglyceride levels. Volanesorsen reduces triglycerides in a person’s body by blocking proteins that slow down how a person’s body breaks down fat.

As of 2018, the FDA has

Statins are

Examples of statins include atorvastatin (Lipitor) and rosuvastatin (Crestor).

Olezarsen is the first FDA-approved drug to treat FCS in the United States. It offers some different treatment approaches and outcomes compared with older options, including:

• targeting the protein (ApoC-III), responsible for inhibiting the body’s ability to remove cholesterol, and essentially turning it off
• offering an injection, typically taken once monthly, rather than a pill
• reducing the risk of acute pancreatitis via research findings

Medical professionals typically prescribe Olezarsen and advise complementing the therapy with other health-supporting habits, such as eating nutritious foods and staying physically active.

A person may be more at risk of high triglycerides due to their genetics. Scientists are

Familial lipoprotein lipase deficiency (LPL) is a

Lipoprotein lipase gene therapy is a new

Some health conditions can

• kidney disease
• type 2 diabetes
• liver disease
• having obesity or overweight
• thyroid disease

Checking for and treating these conditions can help lower a person’s triglyceride levels. This helps lower their risk of serious complications such as heart disease or stroke.

• maintaining a medically recommended weight
• taking part in regular physical activity
• quitting or not smoking
• reducing alcohol consumption or not consuming alcohol
• eating more heart-healthy foods, including: vegetables, such as leafy greens, broccoli, and carrots fruits whole grains such as plain oatmeal, brown rice, and whole grain bread or tortillas fat-free or low fat dairy foods such as milk, cheese, or yogurt protein-rich foods, including fish, lean meats, and eggs
• vegetables, such as leafy greens, broccoli, and carrots
• fruits
• whole grains such as plain oatmeal, brown rice, and whole grain bread or tortillas
• fat-free or low fat dairy foods such as milk, cheese, or yogurt
• protein-rich foods, including fish, lean meats, and eggs
• eating more unsaturated fats, such as those found in vegetable oils and nuts
• limiting intake of saturated fats such as butter, cheese, and fatty meats
• limiting intake of: refined foods sodium added sugar
• refined foods
• sodium
• added sugar
• managing stress
• getting quality sleep

Read on to learn more about lowering triglyceride levels.

Triglycerides are a type of fat that the body makes from the food a person eats. High triglyceride levels can raise a person’s risk of severe heart conditions. Several health conditions or a person’s genetics can increase their risk of high triglyceride levels.

Medications can lower a person’s triglyceride levels. However, some may interact with other medications or dietary supplements. Healthcare professionals often prescribe them together with lifestyle and diet changes that people can use to lower their triglyceride levels.