To prevent hypertriglyceridemia, attention must be paid to reducing individual risk factors.
Behavioral risk factors
- Diet
- Increased intake of:
- Calories (as fat or rapidly metabolized carbohydrates).
- Triglycerides (neutral fats, dietary fat) – animal fats.
- Trans fatty acids (10-20 g/day; e.g., baked goods, chips, fast food products, convenience foods, fried foods such as French fries, breakfast cereals with added fat, snacks, confectionery, dry soups).
- Carbohydrates (including fructose), this causes an increased de novo lipogenesis (“new fatty acid synthesis”); the ingestion of fructose leads postprandially (after a meal) within 24 hours to an increase in triglyceride concentration
- Micronutrient deficiency (vital substances) – see prevention with micronutrients.
- Increased intake of:
- Consumption of stimulants
- Alcohol (woman: > 20 g/day; man > 30 g/day).
- Tobacco (smoking)
- Physical activity
- Physical inactivity
- Psycho-social situation
- Stress
- Overweight (BMI ≥ 25; obesity).