Do very high levels of cholesterol and triglycerides have any effect on the pancreas?

C.L.H.

The pancreas is an organ that produces enzymes crucial to the digestion of foods, along with hormones (such as insulin) that are needed for important metabolic activities throughout the body. When there is damage to the pancreas, a condition known as pancreatitis, these functions are disturbed. Pancreatitis can lead to a severe inflammatory reaction that can involve the lungs, kidneys or heart, resulting in severe illness or death.

There are many causes of acute pancreatitis. The most common are excessive alcohol intake and gallstones, which migrate out of the gallbladder to obstruct the pancreatic duct.

However, there are also many other, more obscure causes. One of these is a high blood level of certain fats known as triglycerides. It is not known exactly how triglycerides contribute to pancreatic damage. In some studies, it is estimated that up to 4 percent of cases of pancreatitis stem from high triglyceride levels. Interestingly, people who have high cholesterol levels but not high triglycerides are not at increased risk of pancreatitis.

However, the triglyceride counts needed to result in pancreatitis are very high (1,000 or higher). The most common causes of such striking elevations include diabetes, excessive alcohol intake, certain medications (such as estrogen compounds) and eating a lot of foods rich in triglycerides. If you are found to have an extremely high triglyceride count, you should follow up with your doctor to determine the cause of the elevation. Depending on the cause, diet and/or medication can often help lower the count.