News by Subject

Inside Medicine

(BBC 05/07/2009)

A lipidologist talks about his work. We carry out more detailed investigations of lipoproteins to define precisely what lipid disorder lies behind the patient's high cholesterol or triglycerides. There are a number of primary and secondary causes of this and we need to distinguish which one is at the root of the problem. Now we are also able to make a firm diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH), an inherited form of high cholesterol, by using DNA testing.

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Life saver

(BBC 26/06/2009)

When Martin Keighley was just 33 he collapsed with a heart attack while out for a country run. Luckily a passing doctor found the father of three and kept him alive for 20 minutes until the paramedics arrived. Doctors tested Martin, whose own father had a heart attack at 32, and found that he had a condition called familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH). FH is a hereditary condition that affects approximately one in 500 people in the UK.

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Genetic cholesterol test warning

(BBC 26/06/2009)

Thousands of people in England are unaware they may have a high genetic risk of heart disease because testing is patchy, doctors warn.

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Thousands of heart-risk children to be put on statins

(Daily Mail 27/08/2008)

Under guidelines approved on Tuesday, those young as two will be screened for the inherited cholesterol disorder (hypercholesterolaemia). The children could then be put on statins, which can help prevent premature heart disease.

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Families to get cholesterol tests

(BBC 19/08/2008)

The UK is expected to endorse the screening of families for an inherited cholesterol disorder.

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