Temporal patterns of triglyceride testing and test results among adults with severe or extreme hypertriglyceridemia in US clinical practice

Severe hypertriglyceridemia (sHTG; triglyceride [TG] 500-879 mg/dL) and extreme hypertriglyceridemia (eHTG; TG ≥880 mg/dL), are risk-enhancing factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and acute pancreatitis, yet little is known about routine TG monitoring. This study characterized real-world frequency and patterns of TG testing and results among adults with sHTG/eHTG. Among 1.8 M adults, first observed TG was 500-879 for 0.7% and ≥880 for 0.2%. During mean follow-up of 27 months, 38% of patients with first TG 500-879 or ≥880 had one test, and among those with ≥2 tests, mean interval between first/second tests was ≥244 days. Among patients with first TG 500-879 and ≥3 tests, second TG was ≥500 for 26% and all three TGs were ≥500 for 11%. Among patients with first TG ≥880 and ≥3 tests, second TG was ≥500 for 46% and all three TGs were ≥500 for 30%. Findings suggest that follow-up TG testing is suboptimal, and TG results are persistently high for many patients with sHTG/eHTG.