A few people have expressed an interest in the references that the question generated. Here they are. There is a bit of variety with some sources going for 10-11 mmol/L and others opting for 20 mmol/L.
<<Ali et al.pdf>> <<JClinPath.pdf>>
Am J Cardiol 1973; 31: 547-56
NEJM 1978; 299: 1421-7
Ann Intern Med 1977; 87: 526-34
Also:
S Afr Med J. 2008 Feb;98(2):91-2
CMAJ Canadian Medical Association Journal. 176(8):1113-20, 2007 Apr 10 (link to this one: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=17420495#r29-19 )
Pharmacotherapy. 25(10):1348-52, 2005 Oct
Clinica Chimica Acta. 332(1-2):11-9, 2003 Jun.
And lots more on medline.
One paper (Gan SI, Edwards AL, Symonds CJ, Beck PL. Hypertriglyceridemia-induced pancreatitis: A case-based review. World J Gastroenterol. 2006 Nov 28;12(44):7197-202 ) gave the following two references which apparently suggest that pancreatitis is unlikely unless trigs are >20 mmol/L:
Fortson MR, Freedman SN, Webster PD 3rd. Clinical assessment of hyperlipidemic pancreatitis. Am J Gastroenterol 1995; 90: 2134-2139
Lithell H, Vessby B, Walldius G, Carlson LA. Hypertriglyceridemia--acute pancreatitis--ischemic heart disease. A case study in a pair of monozygotic twins. Acta Med Scand 1987; 221: 311-316
Laura Wainwright
Trainee Biochemist
Queen Alexandra Hospital
Portsmouth
<<Ali et al.pdf>>