hyperlipidemia type I

hyperlipidemia type I, a condition of elevated blood lipid levels characterized by an increase in both cholesterol and triglycerides and caused by the presence of chylomicrons. It is inherited as an autosomal-recessive trait and has a low risk of atherosclerosis. It results in recurrent bouts of acute pancreatitis. The symptoms begin in childhood. The accumulation of triglycerides is generally proportional to the amount of dietary fat. Treatment is primarily dietary. Both saturated and unsaturated fats are restricted to amounts that produce less than 500 mg/dL of blood, evaluated after an overnight fast. Also called exogenous hypertriglyceridemia, familial hyperglyceridemia, fat-induced hyperlipidemia.