More young people at risk of heart attack than previously thought
A new study has found that twice as many people than previously thought may be living with genetic condition that can cause a deadly heart attack at a young age.
Research, published in the journal Circulation, looked at 37,000 people from the US and found that Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) prevalence should be one in 250 rather than the previous estimate of one in 500.
FH is a genetic condition which results in high levels of cholesterol in your blood from birth. This increases a person’s risk of suffering from a heart attack or heart disease at an early age if left untreated.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) recently changed its prevalence estimate to one in 250 people, meaning as many as 250,000 people in the UK may be living with the potentially deadly inherited gene which causes FH. This includes around 50,000 children. However the charity estimates that as few as 20,000 people are receiving treatment in lipid clinics and only one per cent of children have been identified.
Dr Mike Knapton, Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation, said: “This study confirms that FH is far more prevalent than we first thought, yet worryingly the majority of people living with it have not been diagnosed.
“FH can lead to a potentially fatal heart attack in your 30s or 40s. But thanks to our research it is now possible to have a DNA blood test to determine if you and your family have it and you can be treated to lower your risk of a heart attack.
“Unfortunately the availability of genetic testing for FH is patchy across the UK. The BHF will continue to work with the NHS to ensure cascade testing for families is available nationwide to stop more people dying from heart attacks caused by the condition.”
The BHF says that cascade testing – where immediate family members of those affected have a genetic test – should be made available nationwide. To accelerate the rollout, the BHF are funding 25 FH nursing posts across 13 different locations to make sure millions of people have access to testing. As those posts have been set up over the past two years, 974 people have been tested and 374 people (38% of those tested) have been shown to have FH, ensuring they get the treatment they need.
If all of the estimated 250,000 people with the FH gene in the UK were identified and treated, as many as 25,000 early deaths of people in the UK could be avoided.
The key to preventing early heart attacks caused by FH is early diagnosis. The younger someone is identified, the earlier they can begin to be treated before the high cholesterol causes permanent harm to their arteries. When their diagnosis has been confirmed they can receive support for a healthy lifestyle to help reduce their risk of dangerously high cholesterol. Statins may also be prescribed to adults and children over the age of 10.
