Familial hypercholesterolemia

Familial hypercholesterolemia - who threatened?

In familial hypercholesterolemia improper construction causes genetic damage to the receptor cells located in the liver. It is designed to catch the bad cholesterol from the blood.



Damaged, it picks up less, because more of these molecules circulate in the bloodstream and excreted in the walls of arteries, which in turn damages them and makes the deposited plaque.

Suspected familial hypercholesterolemia should raise total cholesterol above 230 mg / dl in a child, and 310 mg / dL in adults.

Warning! To be excluded (or confirm), you need to perform a blood test. First of all, a full lipid profile (cholesterol test split into so-called. Fractions - is examined total cholesterol (TC), LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides (TG). However, the final diagnosis will be confirmed by genetic testing.

Treatment of familial hypercholesterolemia

The mainstay of treatment is called statin drugs, which decrease LDL cholesterol, inhibiting its formation in the liver. Here, it is recommended to use this drug at higher doses than in healthy people struggling with high cholesterol.

Warning! Patients with hyperlipidemia are taking the maximum dose of the drug that the body can tolerate. Usually, the patient needs to take more than one drug, because the so-called. monotherapy (one drug therapy) brings little effect.

Therefore administered drugs that bind bile acids and so called. inhibitors of cholesterol absorption - that is, measures to reduce the uptake. And though it is already a handful of drugs to be consumed every day, sometimes that is not enough.

Warning! In some people, statins do not give the desired results, and and there are those who do not tolerate statin therapy. The specific treatment is recommended monoclonal antibodies. This new therapy, which is used for a year. This allows fairly well controlled cholesterol.

But the sick, who wants to be qualified for treatment, must first take the traditional treatment and ill to respond. You can not be directed to treatment with monoclonal bodies of times.


Warning! Obviously combination with pharmacologic therapy must follow a proper diet.

The diet in the treatment of familial hypercholesterolemia

First of all, ruled out animal fats and replace them with vegetable. Definitely draw a la carte Fast food or pizza, casseroles, kebabs, fries, chips and hard margarine, semi-fat dairy products, lard, butter, egg yolk, mayonnaise, sweets and any products that contain trans fats.

Eat plenty of vegetables, especially legumes in marine fish - at least 2 times a week.


Warning! Muscles can burn cholesterol. That's why you have to get into greater effort - at least 5 times a week. This should be a movement of the body to be tired (eg. Running, brisk walking, cycling), at least 30 minutes. Maintain a healthy weight and control blood pressure - that in case of any problems as soon as possible to respond.

Cigarettes and cholesterol

They raise cholesterol levels even in healthy humans. Also contribute to the weakening of the heart and vascular disorders. A person suffering from hypercholesterolemia can be fatal.

Warning! Therefore, people with elevated cholesterol should absolutely stop smoking.

Important research!

Everyone should annually check cholesterol levels, and those burdened by heredity should perform this test at least twice as often.