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As with any chronic but difficult to diagnose disease, a FamilialHypercholesterolemia diagnosis can catch many individuals off guard. They may feel that their normal life is over or that they can no longer do many of the things they enjoy because they have to cope with FamilialHypercholesterolemia. Fortunately, the earlier you know what is wrong, the better your treatment options will be. Most people who have FH lead long, normal lives with minimal impact on their daily routines. There are three valuable aspects of treatingHypercholesterolaemia: diet, exercise and medication. There are a few more drastic treatments available, but these are rarely needed, since more conventional approaches are usually sufficient. Your doctor can discuss a healthy diet and exercise routine and he or she will most likely prescribe cholesterol medications in order to reduce the LDL-C levels in your body. Why Is A Familial Hypercholesterolemia Diagnosis Important? There are several reasons why identifying FH is crucial. The most obvious is the prevention of future, possible heart attacks or strokes. The earlier you begin treatment, the more likely it is that you will be able to avoid a serious heart attack and reduce your LDL-C to normal levels. It's also important to get a definite diagnosis because of the high risk of passing it on to your children. Familial Hypercholesterolemia genetics determine who will get the disease and who won't. If you have FH, it's likely that at least one of your parents and one or more children or siblings will also have it. Once you've been diagnosed, it's important to have your family tested. Early intervention in the treatment of FH is particularly important for children. Left undiagnosed, some children with FH can have their first heart attack in their teens or twenties. Since the ties of Hypercholesterolemiagenetics can't be avoided, you owe it to your family to share your diagnosis and urge them to get tested as soon as possible. How Do Doctors Reach A Diagnosis? In many cases, a seemingly healthy young person who has an unexpected heart attack is the first sign that he or she has FH. Doctors try to determine whether patients have the disorder by reviewing family medical histories and looking for a pattern of heart attacks or strokes in people younger than 55 for men or under 65 for women. They also test for LDL-C (bad cholesterol) levels in the blood stream. In order to confirm the Familial Hypercholesterolemia diagnosis, genetic testing is usually done. Once this is done, the doctor will usually urge the family members to undergo genetic testing as well so that they can catch the disease as early as possible and begin appropriate treatment for anyone else who has FamilialHypercholesterolaemia. If either you or your spouse have received a FamilialHypercholesterolemia diagnosis, it's a good idea to have your children tested between the ages of two and eleven years to determine whether they have FH, as they have a 50% chance of having FH themselves. If both you and your spouse have it, your children have a nearly 100% chance of being affected and should be seen by a lipid specialist or counselor specializing in genetic diseases. The most important thing to remember about having FH is that it can be treated with appropriate diet, exercise and medications. If you follow your doctor's guidelines, you and any family members with FamilialHypercholesterolaemia can have long and productive lives. The FH Foundation is a non-profit organization for anyone who has had a FamilialHypercholesterolemia diagnosis and their families. The group supports and advocates for individuals with FamilialHypercholesterolaemia in order to improve their daily lives. To learn more, visit their website.
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Familial Hypercholesterolemia diagnosis, Familial Hypercholesterolemia genetics, Familial Hypercholesterolaemia,
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