Genetic testing can determine if you or your children are affected with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). FH is an inherited disease that can lead to heart attack at a relatively young age, unless drug treatment is started early in life.
Here are some important things to know about Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH):
- FH is a common disease. It affects 1 in 500 Americans.
- FH causes very high blood cholesterol. But - not all cases of high blood cholesterol are due to FH.
- FH is an inherited disease. If a patient has high blood cholesterol due to FH, about half of his or her children, siblings, and parents will also have high blood cholesterol.
- Beginning in childhood, FH causes the arteries to narrow and harden (a process known as atherosclerosis). Initially, this does not lead to any health problems, so that FH is often not recognized in children or young adults.
- By early middle age, atherosclerosis has often become so bad that heart disease develops. At this point, FH may be recognized, but the existing atherosclerosis is now difficult or even impossible to undo.
- If treatment of FH starts early, atherosclerosis and heart disease can be delayed or even prevented. It is therefore very important to diagnose FH in childhood or adolescence, so that treatment can be started early.
- Genetic testing is the best tool for detecting FH in children and adolescents. The first step is to use genetic testing to diagnose FH in adult patients with high cholesterol and early-onset heart disease. Then, genetic testing can identify who among the adults’ children and grandchildren is affected by FH, and who is not.
If you believe genetic testing could help you or your family members, please follow these simple steps:
- Make an appointment with your doctor (either your primary care physician, internist, family doctor, or cardiologist, if you have one) to discuss if genetic testing is right for you and your family.
- Print out this material and bring it to your doctor’s appointment. Because genetic testing is a relatively new diagnostic method, your doctor might want some information. Click to Print
- Let us know if we should directly contact your physician to provide him/her with more information - call us at 1-866-647-0735 or send an e-mail to
