A 22-year-old man arrives at the emergency department complaining of abdominal pain and vomiting. His symptoms started suddenly 24 hours ago, with nausea and a loss of appetite. His medical background is unremarkable. The patient consumes three to four beers per week and does not use tobacco or illegal drugs. The BMI is 37 kg/m2². The physical exam reveals moderate epigastric tenderness with decreased bowel sounds but no rebound tenderness, guarding, or abdominal rigidity. A serum triglyceride concentration of 1,500 mg/dL (normal: 200 mg/dL) was found in fasting laboratory studies. Once the patient is medically stable, which of the following medications would be most helpful in preventing recurrences of his condition?

Question

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Eductional Objective: Pancreatic lipases can cause toxic levels of free fatty acids to be released within pancreatic tissue in patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia, leading to acute pancreatitis. Fibrates (for example, fenofibrate) are the most effective agents for hypertriglyceridemia treatment.

A 22-Year-Old Man Arrives at the Emergency Department Complaining of Abdominal