Risk factors	Causes
Common risk factors
Metabolic syndrome (increased waist circumference; reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels; and elevated triglyceride levels, glucose levels, and blood pressure)	Insulin resistance, visceral adiposity, and increased fatty acid production
Type 2 diabetes mellitus	Insulin resistance and decreased activity of lipoprotein lipase
Secondary hypertriglyceridemia
Excess alcohol intake*	Increased liver production of fatty acids
Medication use	Atypical antipsychotics, antiretroviral protease inhibitors, beta blockers, bile acid–binding resins, corticosteroids, estrogens, immunosuppressants, isotretinoin, thiazide diuretics
Endocrine disease	Hypothyroidism-related dyslipidemia
Renal disease	Decreased clearance of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins
Liver disease	Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Pregnancy	Estrogen mediated
Autoimmune disorders	Antibodies directed against lipoprotein lipase
Primary hypertriglyceridemia
Genetic disorders	Familial combined hyperlipidemia, familial hypertriglyceridemia, familial dysbetalipoproteinemia, familial hypoalphalipoproteinemia, familial hyperchylomicronemia, and related disorders