High triglycerides drive life-threatening aortic aneurysms, study in mice finds (Also aortic dissections)

Medical Xpress / University of Michigan / Circulation ^ | Aug. 14, 2025 | Noah Fromson / Yaozhong Liu et al

[ConservativeMind]

High levels of triglycerides, the most common type of fat in the body and the foods we eat, directly cause abdominal aortic aneurysms, according to a study in mouse models.

Researchers identified triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and proteins that regulate triglyceride metabolism, including APOC3 and ANGPTL3, as causal drivers of abdominal aortic aneurysm.

The study challenges the longstanding belief that triglycerides are merely biomarkers of vascular disease and instead demonstrates that they play a direct role.

"We have known that hyperlipidemia is a risk factor for aortic aneurysm, but this multidimensional study pinpoints hypertriglyceridemia as an essential contributor to the development and growth, as well as dissection and rupture, of aortic aneurysms," said Eugene Chen, M.D., Ph.D.

"Our findings suggest that managing triglycerides could become a powerful therapeutic strategy."

Using three different mouse models of hypertriglyceridemia, the research team demonstrated a triglyceride dose-dependent effect on aneurysm severity.

Moderate elevations in triglycerides accelerated aneurysm formation, while higher levels led to aortic dissection.

Mice with severely elevated triglyceride concentrations developed more severe complications consistent with aortic rupture.

Further investigation revealed that elevated triglycerides and related fatty acids, particularly palmitate, impaired the maturation and activity of lysyl oxidase, a critical enzyme that maintains the structural integrity of the aortic wall.

This enzyme dysfunction weakened connective tissue and promoted aneurysm progression.

By overexpressing LOX in the aorta, researchers effectively blocked the damaging effects of hypertriglyceridemia in the mouse models, confirming the mechanism.

Standard lipid-lowering therapies, such as niacin, didn't sufficiently reduce triglyceride levels to a protective range.

However, investigators found success with experimental antisense oligonucleotide therapy. The drug candidate targets the ANGPTL3, which is secreted in the liver and affects how the body breaks down fats.

The treatment dramatically lowered triglyceride levels by up to 50% and prevented aneurysm formation and dissection in multiple mouse models.

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TOPICS: Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: aneurysm; aorta; triglycerides

[ConservativeMind]

I had a close relative die of an aortic dissection. He knew he had the aneurysm, but doctors said it wasn’t yet big enough to have surgery.

This is what I needed to know to finally help prevent it.

[ConservativeMind]

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[E. Pluribus Unum]

Is there ANYTHING that won’t kill ya?

[JZelle]

I’m just glad I’m not a mouse.

[Beowulf9]

Ping

[BobL]

“The treatment dramatically lowered triglyceride levels by up to 50% and prevented aneurysm formation and dissection in multiple mouse models.”

Good to see that they’re slowly realizing that Triglycerides is the BIG health threat - SOME OF US have known that for at least a decade. By the way, another ‘treatment’ to greatly lower triglycerides is to simply not eat carbs, or at least greatly minimize them.

[srmanuel]

As someone who had Open Heart Surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm, they are no joke.

I was born with a Bicuspid Aortic Valve about 15 years after discovery, I was diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis, one of the tests prior to surgery to repair the valve was a CT Scan with contrast that showed the aneurysm.

I was told at the time, I could have a less invasive procedure to fix the valve and 12-18 months later Open-heart surgery to repair the aneurysm or open-heart surgery immediately to repair the valve and aneurysm, I chose to have the open heart surgery immediately.

I learned that what makes aneurysms so dangerous is the person experiencing the aneurysm suffers no symptoms prior to a dissection or rupture and that aneurysms usually are found as a result of looking for something else.

[Skywise]

That doesn’t make sense...

High triglycerides cause plaque build up in the arteries, causing a narrowing, causing a clog = heart attack or stroke.

Aneurysms are a ballooning of the arterial walls (a weakness in the hose if you will). So this study says they’re simultaneously causing the clogging AND the ballooning of the arteries? Ehhhh... Maybe because the clogging causes HBP but that still doesn’t completely jive...

[Skywise]

Tell that to the AHA and Diabetes association... Cars r gud!

[rarestia]

Ehh... I’d be careful labeling triglycerides as evil. They are literally the fuel your brain uses for all its metabolic processing. Exceptionally high levels of triglycerides are not good, but classifying them as a killer is misguided. Everything in the body is there for a reason. It’s a balancing act.