thanks Colleen - I will look over those links

Hi @lookinup55. I have a few observations for you to consider as questions to raise with your primary physician and one or two others, because your situation calls out for a second (or maybe also third) opinion -- not because you are in any immediate danger, but because of your unusual familial situation.

First, you will get a lot of fundamental information from this web page: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/triglycerides/art-20048186.

Second, you suggest that your high triglyceride levels might result from an inherited condition, which could escape the attention of your medical team or might be unusually difficult to identify without genetic testing (now more readily available than ever).

Triglycerides are different from cholesterols, so studying up on the latter may not give you the full picture. For example, high triglycerides could eventually cause life-threatening inflammation of the pancreas, which might show up in lab tests for diabetes.

The article on the Mayo Clinic web site provides more complete information on the possible concerns: "Sometimes high triglycerides are a sign of poorly controlled type 2 diabetes, low levels of thyroid hormones (hypothyroidism), liver or kidney disease, or rare genetic conditions that affect how your body converts fat to energy. High triglycerides could also be a side effect of taking medications such as beta blockers, birth control pills, diuretics or steroids."

The Mayo article also has come crucial recommendations:
- Lose weight.
- Cut back on calories.
- Avoid sugary and refined foods.
- Choose healthier fats from plants -- olive, peanut, and canola oils.
- Substitute fish high in omega-3 fatty acids for red meat.
- Limit how much alcohol you drink.
- Exercise regularly.

Notice how Mayo's suggestions are just plain sound practices for everybody, giving you strong assurance that your situation is not now critical and probably is fixable with ordinary lifestyle changes.

Pay special attention, however, to the Mayo reservations about resorting to medication(s). These alerts lay out a set of additional -- and essential -- questions that your medical team should be asked and expected to answer to your satisfaction. If that happens, I'll bet you'll sleep better in the future!