FAMILIAL HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA: DIAGNOSTIC ISSUES AND THERAPEUTIC POSSIBILITIES

Abstract

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FHC) is a common monogenic disease that occurs with a frequency of ~1:250 and is characterised by a high content of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in the blood. This disease leads to the early development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ACVD). Although the screening and diagnostics issues concerned with FHC are well developed and the modern lipid-lowering therapy can significantly improve the prognosis, the detectability of this disease remains extremely low. In recent years, the concept of FHC has undergone significant changes under the influence of large epidemiological studies, including verification of the FHC diagnosis using genetic tests. The article is aimed at discussing the clinical manifestations of FHC, as well as modern medical and extracorporal approaches to its treatment.Conclusion. Until the advent of modern lipid-lowering drugs, FHC had remained to be a disease with a poor prognosis due to early ACVD and the associated premature death. Today, the diseases is amenable to successful treatment, which, though not eliminating the genetic defect, allows almost the same life duration as in the general population to be achieved. However, all the possibilities of modern approaches to the treatment of this serious disease can be realized provided that a state-level screening program for such patients has been implemented.Conflict of interest: the authors declare no conflict of interest.

Keywords

• familial hypercholesterolemia
• atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases
• lipid-lowering therapy