Insulin therapy for treating hypertriglyceridemia - A case report from a tertiary care hospital in coastal Karnataka, India

Severe hypertriglyceridemia (HTG), being one of the most common causes of dyslipidemia is hazardous and predisposing factor leading to increased risk of atherosclerosis and acute pancreatitis. Various genetic disorders leading to disordered metabolism of triglycerides result into primary HTG. We are reporting a case of a 49-year-old non-diabetic male with severe HTG with triglyceride levels of 1032 mg/dl. He was treated with insulin infusion therapy along with fenofibrates and saroglitazar for 3 days as a result of which, TG levels came down to 331 mg/dl. During his follow up visit after 6 months, normal triglyceride level of 105 mg/dl was found. This implies that aggressive treatment and monitoring are required in such patients to ensure an appropriate and optimal therapeutic response and to prevent the development of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease in future.