Which medication is a fibrate used to treat severe hypertriglyceridemia?

• A. cholestyramine
• B. colestipol
• C. gemfibrozil
• D. simvastatin

Answer: (C)

Fibrates lower triglycerides by activating PPAR-α, which increases lipoprotein lipase activity and decreases hepatic VLDL production. This leads to a substantial drop in triglycerides and a modest rise in HDL, making fibrates especially useful for severe hypertriglyceridemia to reduce the risk of pancreatitis. Gemfibrozil is a classic fibrate and fits this use by engaging that mechanism to lower triglycerides. By contrast, cholestyramine and colestipol are bile acid sequestrants that mainly lower LDL cholesterol, not triglycerides, while simvastatin is a statin that focuses on reducing LDL via HMG-CoA reductase inhibition and isn’t the primary choice for TG lowering.