Familial Hypercholesterolemia

What are the treatments for the condition?

Anyone who has this condition should talk to a healthcare provider. This condition responds to diet changes. Affected people should eat a diet low in fat and cholesterol. Other coronary risk factors can be lowered. Obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes should be treated.

A person with one abnormal gene will need medications to lower the cholesterol level. Examples of medications used include bile acid resins, statin drugs, and niacin. Combinations of medications are often needed.

Someone with two abnormal genes is generally treated by an expert in this disease. The use of a machine to filter the blood may be the only good way to lower the cholesterol.

What are the side effects of the treatments?

Since the liver makes cholesterol, most of the medications to lower cholesterol levels may affect the liver.

Specific side effects vary by the medication, and may include:

What happens after treatment for the condition?

Treatment is generally needed for life.

How is the condition monitored?

Repeated checks of the cholesterol level in the blood are done to see how well the treatment is working. Someone taking cholesterol-lowering medications may need periodic liver function tests. If chest pain or shortness of breath occurs, a healthcare provider should be told right away. This may be a sign of a heart attack.