Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach wants to have all children tested for familial hypercholesterolemia in the future. But what is it and who does screening help?
What is familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and what are the consequences of the disease?
Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) means that the concentration of the “bad” cholesterol, LDL-C, is greatly increased in the blood – this is hereditary and completely independent of lifestyle. In Germany, about everyone has , which causes excessive LDL-C levels in their blood. Various mutations all have an effect: those affected have more LDL-C in their blood than the normal population. The LDL cholesterol is deposited in the vessel walls and leads to arteriosclerosis, the dreaded vascular calcification. Arteriosclerosis, in turn, is the main cause of heart attacks and strokes.
Source: Stern
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