FH FOUNDATION

In the United States alone, an estimated 1.3 million people live with FH. Yet only 10% of them are diagnosed. Can you imagine? Nearly 2 million people in the US might have FH and not even know it. Perhaps they won’t know it until they have a heart attack! This is what we want to change!

FH is short for Familial Hypercholesterolemia. It is an inherited disorder that leads to aggressive and premature cardiovascular disease. This includes problems like heart attacks, strokes, and even narrowing of our heart valves. For individuals with FH, although diet and lifestyle are important, they are not the cause of high LDL. In FH patients, genetic mutations make the liver incapable of metabolizing (or removing) excess LDL. The result is very high LDL levels which can lead to premature cardiovascular disease (CVD).