Familial hypercholesterolaemia: Walking time bombs and digging for gold

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Author(s)
Hamilton-Craig, I
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2008
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Most GPs will have in their practice patients with heterozygous FH, whether recognised or not. Most adults with FH are diagnosed sporadically. FH in children remains largely undiagnosed and untreated. Coronary atherosclerosis in adult patients with FH can be controlled with effective LDL-C lowering, but this requires maximum doses of potent statins in combination with ezetimibe, and often resins and nicotinic acid as well. Referral of patients with FH to a lipid clinic with experience in this area is the preferred option for family screening, a key component of FH management. Ongoing management of patients with FH should be ...
View more >Most GPs will have in their practice patients with heterozygous FH, whether recognised or not. Most adults with FH are diagnosed sporadically. FH in children remains largely undiagnosed and untreated. Coronary atherosclerosis in adult patients with FH can be controlled with effective LDL-C lowering, but this requires maximum doses of potent statins in combination with ezetimibe, and often resins and nicotinic acid as well. Referral of patients with FH to a lipid clinic with experience in this area is the preferred option for family screening, a key component of FH management. Ongoing management of patients with FH should be undertaken jointly by GPs and the lipid clinic. There is a need for improved health professional and community awareness of FH as a serious and relatively common genetic disorder for which effective treatments are available.
View less >
View more >Most GPs will have in their practice patients with heterozygous FH, whether recognised or not. Most adults with FH are diagnosed sporadically. FH in children remains largely undiagnosed and untreated. Coronary atherosclerosis in adult patients with FH can be controlled with effective LDL-C lowering, but this requires maximum doses of potent statins in combination with ezetimibe, and often resins and nicotinic acid as well. Referral of patients with FH to a lipid clinic with experience in this area is the preferred option for family screening, a key component of FH management. Ongoing management of patients with FH should be undertaken jointly by GPs and the lipid clinic. There is a need for improved health professional and community awareness of FH as a serious and relatively common genetic disorder for which effective treatments are available.
View less >
Journal Title
Medicine Today
Volume
9
Issue
1
Publisher URI
Copyright Statement
© 2008 Medicine Today Pty. Ltd. Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Use hypertext link for access to the publisher's website.
Subject
Biomedical and clinical sciences