Grasping What Familial Hypercholesterolemia Is and How it Can Be Cured

Familial Hypercholesterolemia

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) comes in two forms; Heterozygous FH and Homozygous FH. It’s an inherited disorder that can unfortunately lead to problems such as heart attacks, stokes, and narrowing heart valves. About one in every 250 people are diagnosed with FH. Fortunately, it is treatable and following some key advice can help those suffering from FH reduce their risks of these diseases. The sooner it is treated, the better and it is advised to test an entire family for FH once one member has been diagnosed.

Understanding the Basics

If you’re wondering what is familial hypercholesterolemia, it is important to know there are two forms. The first of the two forms of this disorder is HeFH which is more common. The second, HoFH, is more serious and can lead to dangerous health complications. However, when this type of FH is treated early in childhood, lives can be saved. Children can get the disorder from their parents through DNA. A few physical characteristics to look for include corneal acus, a heart murmur, and xanthomas. Xanthomas are yellow bumps that can be found in the folds of skin on children. These can occur even if heart problems are not apparent in childhood.

FH Runs in Families

If you have familial hypercholesterolemia, it is possible for a family member to also have it making it critical that they are tested. Since it is a lifelong condition that is only treatable with constant treatment, getting your family tested as soon as possible would be advantageous. Having your whole family scanned for FH can be accomplished with a cascade screening. This simply means that once someone is diagnosed with FH, the professional does a test on all of their immediate family members.

The Treatment Options

When FH is discovered at an early stage, there are some steps to take for treatment. One important step is to not smoke or stop smoking. It is also vital to exercise regularly and focus on eating a healthy diet low in both saturated and trans fats. There are medications that can be taken to help cure FH as well and the option of going on LDL-apheresis. It is important to start treating FH as soon as it diagnosed because the risk of heart disease can be greatly reduced when these measures are taken in the early stages.

It Goes Beyond Changing the Diet

Keep in mind, however, that despite having extremely high LDL-cholesterol, it is not enough to simply reduce your fried food and dessert intake. Although this is a small step toward treatment and achieving health, FH is more closely linked to your family history. Therefore, the cause of the high cholesterol deals with genes as opposed to your diet.

Familial Hypercholesterolemia is an inherited disorder that can cause various problems including high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes. It is best caught early on and although there is not a cure, there are treatments and steps a person with FH can take to greatly reduce their risks. A few physical characteristics to look for include a heart murmur, corneal acus, and xanthomas. Once a single family member is diagnosed, it is advised to get a cascade screening where all the immediate family members of the one diagnosed are also tested for FH.

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