IMR Press / RCM / Volume 24 / Issue 8 / DOI: 10.31083/j.rcm2408236
Open Access Review
Familial Hypercholesterolemia: Pitfalls and Challenges in Diagnosis and Treatment
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1 Department of Cardiology, University Heart & Vascular Center Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
2 German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Hamburg/Kiel/Luebeck, Hamburg, Germany
3 Deutsches Herzzentrum München, Technische Universität München, 80636 Munich, Germany
4 German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
5 Institute of Epidemiology and Medical Biometry, University of Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
*Correspondence: n.arnold@uke.de (Natalie Arnold)
Rev. Cardiovasc. Med. 2023, 24(8), 236; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.rcm2408236
Submitted: 19 April 2023 | Revised: 7 July 2023 | Accepted: 21 July 2023 | Published: 17 August 2023
Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), a condition, which is characterized by a life-long exposure to markedly elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) concentrations from birth, and it still remains underdiagnosed and undertreated, despite the fact that its heterogeneous form represents one of the commonest genetic disorders to date. Indeed, only 10% of all estimated affected individuals have been diagnosed worldwide and for the most of them diagnosis comes too late, when atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) has already been developed. Undiagnosed and undertreated FH leads to accelerated ASCVD with a high rate of premature deaths. Recently, several novel treatment modalities have been introduced, especially for the management of severe hypercholesterolemia. Nonetheless, a substantial number of FH patients still do not achieve guideline-recommended LDL cholesterol target values. In the present review we will summarize and critically discuss pitfalls and challenges in successful diagnosis and treatment of FH.

Keywords
familial hypercholesterolemia
atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease
lipid-lowering therapy
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