Two years after molecular diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolemia: majority on cholesterol-lowering treatment but a minority reaches treatment goal.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The risk of premature cardiovascular disease in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) can be profoundly reduced by cholesterol-lowering therapy, and current guidelines for FH advocate ambitious low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) goals. In the present study, we determined whether these goals are reflected in current clinical practice once FH has been diagnosed.

Methodology/principal findings

In 2008, we sent questionnaires to all subjects (aged 18-65 years) who were molecularly diagnosed with FH in the year 2006 through the screening program in The Netherlands. Of these 1062 subjects, 781 completed the questionnaire (46% males; mean age: 42+/-12 years; mean LDL-C at molecular diagnosis (baseline): 4.1+/-1.3 mmol/L). The number of persons that us

SUBMITTER: Huijgen R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2821409 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature