U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Format

Send to:

Choose Destination

Familial hypercholesterolemia

MedGen UID:
5688
Concept ID:
C0020445
Disease or Syndrome
Synonym: Familial hypercholesterolemias
SNOMED CT: Familial hypercholesterolemia (398036000); Essential familial hypercholesterolemia (398036000); Familial hyperbetalipoproteinemia (398036000); LDL receptor disorder (398036000); LDL - Low density lipoprotein receptor disorder (398036000); Low density lipoprotein catabolic defect (398036000); Hyperbetalipoproteinemia (190773008)
 
Genes (locations): APOB (2p24.1); LDLR (19p13.2); PCSK9 (1p32.3)
Related genes: LDLRAP1, PPP1R17, GHR, EPHX2, APOA2
 
Monarch Initiative: MONDO:0005439
OMIM® Phenotypic series: PS143890

Disease characteristics

Excerpted from the GeneReview: Familial Hypercholesterolemia
Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is characterized by significantly elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) that leads to atherosclerotic plaque deposition in the coronary arteries and proximal aorta at an early age and increases the risk of premature cardiovascular events such as angina and myocardial infarction; stroke occurs more rarely. Xanthomas (cholesterol deposits in tendons) may be visible in the Achilles tendons or tendons of the hands and worsen with age as a result of extremely high cholesterol levels. Xanthelasmas (yellowish, waxy deposits) can occur around the eyelids. Individuals with FH may develop corneal arcus (white, gray, or blue opaque ring in the corneal margin as a result of cholesterol deposition) at a younger age than those without FH. Individuals with a more severe phenotype, often as a result of biallelic variants, can present with very significant elevations in LDL-C (>500 mg/dL), early-onset coronary artery disease (CAD; presenting as early as childhood in some), and calcific aortic valve disease. [from GeneReviews]
Authors:
Hannah E Ison  |  Shoa L Clarke  |  Joshua W Knowles   view full author information

Additional description

From MedlinePlus Genetics
Familial hypercholesterolemia is an inherited condition characterized by very high levels of cholesterol in the blood. Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that is produced in the body and obtained from foods that come from animals (particularly egg yolks, meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products). The body needs this substance to build cell membranes, make certain hormones, and produce compounds that aid in fat digestion. In people with familial hypercholesterolemia, the body is unable to get rid of extra cholesterol, and it builds up in the blood. Too much cholesterol increases a person's risk of developing heart disease.

Familial hypercholesterolemia can also cause health problems related to the buildup of excess cholesterol in tissues other than the heart and blood vessels. If cholesterol accumulates in the tissues that attach muscles to bones (tendons), it causes characteristic growths called tendon xanthomas. These growths most often affect the Achilles tendons, which attach the calf muscles to the heels, and tendons in the hands and fingers. Yellowish cholesterol deposits can develop under the skin of the eyelids and are known as xanthelasmata. Cholesterol can also accumulate at the edges of the clear, front surface of the eye (the cornea), leading to a gray-colored ring called an arcus cornealis.

People with familial hypercholesterolemia have a high risk of developing a form of heart disease called coronary artery disease at a young age. This condition occurs when excess cholesterol in the bloodstream is deposited on the inner walls of blood vessels, particularly the arteries that supply blood to the heart (coronary arteries). The abnormal buildup of cholesterol forms clumps (plaques) that narrow and harden artery walls. As the plaques get bigger, they can clog the arteries and restrict the flow of blood to the heart. The buildup of plaques in coronary arteries causes a form of chest pain called angina and greatly increases a person's risk of having a heart attack.  https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/familial-hypercholesterolemia

Recent clinical studies

Etiology

Abifadel M, Boileau C
J Intern Med 2023 Feb;293(2):144-165. Epub 2022 Oct 17 doi: 10.1111/joim.13577. PMID: 36196022Free PMC Article
Zubielienė K, Valterytė G, Jonaitienė N, Žaliaduonytė D, Zabiela V
Medicina (Kaunas) 2022 Nov 17;58(11) doi: 10.3390/medicina58111665. PMID: 36422206Free PMC Article
Civeira F, Arca M, Cenarro A, Hegele RA
J Clin Lipidol 2022 Nov-Dec;16(6):813-821. Epub 2022 Sep 30 doi: 10.1016/j.jacl.2022.09.006. PMID: 36229375
Tokgozoglu L, Kayikcioglu M
Curr Cardiol Rep 2021 Sep 4;23(10):151. doi: 10.1007/s11886-021-01565-5. PMID: 34480646
McGowan MP, Hosseini Dehkordi SH, Moriarty PM, Duell PB
J Am Heart Assoc 2019 Dec 17;8(24):e013225. Epub 2019 Dec 16 doi: 10.1161/JAHA.119.013225. PMID: 31838973Free PMC Article

Diagnosis

Abifadel M, Boileau C
J Intern Med 2023 Feb;293(2):144-165. Epub 2022 Oct 17 doi: 10.1111/joim.13577. PMID: 36196022Free PMC Article
Zubielienė K, Valterytė G, Jonaitienė N, Žaliaduonytė D, Zabiela V
Medicina (Kaunas) 2022 Nov 17;58(11) doi: 10.3390/medicina58111665. PMID: 36422206Free PMC Article
Civeira F, Arca M, Cenarro A, Hegele RA
J Clin Lipidol 2022 Nov-Dec;16(6):813-821. Epub 2022 Sep 30 doi: 10.1016/j.jacl.2022.09.006. PMID: 36229375
McGowan MP, Hosseini Dehkordi SH, Moriarty PM, Duell PB
J Am Heart Assoc 2019 Dec 17;8(24):e013225. Epub 2019 Dec 16 doi: 10.1161/JAHA.119.013225. PMID: 31838973Free PMC Article
Singh S, Bittner V
Curr Atheroscler Rep 2015;17(2):482. doi: 10.1007/s11883-014-0482-5. PMID: 25612857

Therapy

Wright RS, Ray KK, Raal FJ, Kallend DG, Jaros M, Koenig W, Leiter LA, Landmesser U, Schwartz GG, Friedman A, Wijngaard PLJ, Garcia Conde L, Kastelein JJP; ORION Phase III Investigators
J Am Coll Cardiol 2021 Mar 9;77(9):1182-1193. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2020.12.058. PMID: 33663735
Raal FJ, Rosenson RS, Reeskamp LF, Hovingh GK, Kastelein JJP, Rubba P, Ali S, Banerjee P, Chan KC, Gipe DA, Khilla N, Pordy R, Weinreich DM, Yancopoulos GD, Zhang Y, Gaudet D; ELIPSE HoFH Investigators
N Engl J Med 2020 Aug 20;383(8):711-720. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2004215. PMID: 32813947
Raal FJ, Kallend D, Ray KK, Turner T, Koenig W, Wright RS, Wijngaard PLJ, Curcio D, Jaros MJ, Leiter LA, Kastelein JJP; ORION-9 Investigators
N Engl J Med 2020 Apr 16;382(16):1520-1530. Epub 2020 Mar 18 doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1913805. PMID: 32197277
Ballantyne CM, Laufs U, Ray KK, Leiter LA, Bays HE, Goldberg AC, Stroes ES, MacDougall D, Zhao X, Catapano AL
Eur J Prev Cardiol 2020 Apr;27(6):593-603. Epub 2019 Jul 29 doi: 10.1177/2047487319864671. PMID: 31357887Free PMC Article
Bouhairie VE, Goldberg AC
Cardiol Clin 2015 May;33(2):169-79. doi: 10.1016/j.ccl.2015.01.001. PMID: 25939291Free PMC Article

Prognosis

Chora JR, Iacocca MA, Tichý L, Wand H, Kurtz CL, Zimmermann H, Leon A, Williams M, Humphries SE, Hooper AJ, Trinder M, Brunham LR, Costa Pereira A, Jannes CE, Chen M, Chonis J, Wang J, Kim S, Johnston T, Soucek P, Kramarek M, Leigh SE, Carrié A, Sijbrands EJ, Hegele RA, Freiberger T, Knowles JW, Bourbon M; ClinGen Familial Hypercholesterolemia Expert Panel
Genet Med 2022 Feb;24(2):293-306. Epub 2021 Nov 30 doi: 10.1016/j.gim.2021.09.012. PMID: 34906454
Tokgozoglu L, Kayikcioglu M
Curr Cardiol Rep 2021 Sep 4;23(10):151. doi: 10.1007/s11886-021-01565-5. PMID: 34480646
Nohara A, Tada H, Ogura M, Okazaki S, Ono K, Shimano H, Daida H, Dobashi K, Hayashi T, Hori M, Matsuki K, Minamino T, Yokoyama S, Harada-Shiba M
J Atheroscler Thromb 2021 Jul 1;28(7):665-678. Epub 2021 Apr 18 doi: 10.5551/jat.RV17050. PMID: 33867421Free PMC Article
Lazarte J, Hegele RA
Can J Cardiol 2020 Sep;36(9):1362-1371. Epub 2020 Mar 23 doi: 10.1016/j.cjca.2020.03.020. PMID: 32640212
Luirink IK, Wiegman A, Kusters DM, Hof MH, Groothoff JW, de Groot E, Kastelein JJP, Hutten BA
N Engl J Med 2019 Oct 17;381(16):1547-1556. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1816454. PMID: 31618540

Clinical prediction guides

Houttu V, Grefhorst A, Cohn DM, Levels JHM, Roeters van Lennep J, Stroes ESG, Groen AK, Tromp TR
Nutrients 2023 Feb 15;15(4) doi: 10.3390/nu15040962. PMID: 36839320Free PMC Article
Tokgozoglu L, Kayikcioglu M
Curr Cardiol Rep 2021 Sep 4;23(10):151. doi: 10.1007/s11886-021-01565-5. PMID: 34480646
Liberis A, Petousis S, Tsikouras P
Curr Pharm Des 2021;27(36):3804-3807. doi: 10.2174/1381612827666210421103245. PMID: 33882801
Nohara A, Tada H, Ogura M, Okazaki S, Ono K, Shimano H, Daida H, Dobashi K, Hayashi T, Hori M, Matsuki K, Minamino T, Yokoyama S, Harada-Shiba M
J Atheroscler Thromb 2021 Jul 1;28(7):665-678. Epub 2021 Apr 18 doi: 10.5551/jat.RV17050. PMID: 33867421Free PMC Article
Dron JS, Wang J, McIntyre AD, Iacocca MA, Robinson JF, Ban MR, Cao H, Hegele RA
BMC Med Genomics 2020 Feb 10;13(1):23. doi: 10.1186/s12920-020-0669-2. PMID: 32041611Free PMC Article

Recent systematic reviews

Burnett H, Fahrbach K, Cichewicz A, Jindal R, Tarpey J, Durand A, Di Domenico M, Reichelt A, Viljoen A
Curr Med Res Opin 2022 May;38(5):777-784. Epub 2022 Mar 20 doi: 10.1080/03007995.2022.2049164. PMID: 35262430
Barkas F, Nomikos T, Liberopoulos E, Panagiotakos D
Nutrients 2020 Aug 13;12(8) doi: 10.3390/nu12082436. PMID: 32823643Free PMC Article
Hu P, Dharmayat KI, Stevens CAT, Sharabiani MTA, Jones RS, Watts GF, Genest J, Ray KK, Vallejo-Vaz AJ
Circulation 2020 Jun 2;141(22):1742-1759. Epub 2020 May 29 doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.119.044795. PMID: 32468833
Beheshti SO, Madsen CM, Varbo A, Nordestgaard BG
J Am Coll Cardiol 2020 May 26;75(20):2553-2566. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2020.03.057. PMID: 32439005
Ulven SM, Holven KB, Gil A, Rangel-Huerta OD
Adv Nutr 2019 May 1;10(suppl_2):S239-S250. doi: 10.1093/advances/nmy072. PMID: 31089732Free PMC Article

Supplemental Content

Table of contents

    Clinical resources

    Practice guidelines

    • PubMed
      See practice and clinical guidelines in PubMed. The search results may include broader topics and may not capture all published guidelines. See the FAQ for details.
    • Bookshelf
      See practice and clinical guidelines in NCBI Bookshelf. The search results may include broader topics and may not capture all published guidelines. See the FAQ for details.

    Curated

    • NICE, 2023
      UK NICE Guideline NG238, Cardiovascular disease: risk assessment and reduction, including lipid modification, 2023
    • ACMG ACT, 2019
      American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, Genomic Testing (Secondary Findings) ACT Sheet, APOB, LDLR, PCSK9 Pathogenic Variants (Familial Hypercholesterolemia), 2019
    • CSANZ, 2016
      The Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand, Diagnosis and Management of Familial Hypercholesterolaemia – Position Statement
    • NICE, 2019
      National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, Identification and management of familial hypercholesterolaemia, 2008 [Updated: 4 October 2019]

    Recent activity

    Your browsing activity is empty.

    Activity recording is turned off.

    Turn recording back on

    See more...