Familial Hypercholesterolemia in Cardiac Rehabilitation: a new field of interest

• Main Authors: Marco Ambrosetti, Gabriella Malfatto, Anna Maria Cremona, Marcello Arca, Pompilio Faggiano
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: PAGEPress Publications 2015-08-01
• Series: Monaldi Archives for Chest Disease
• Subjects: familial hypercholesterolemia; cardiac rehabilitation; prevention
• Online Access: https://www.monaldi-archives.org/index.php/macd/article/view/49

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a frequently undiagnosed genetic disease characterized by substantial elevations of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). The prevalence of heterozygous FH (HeFH) in the general population is 1:500 inhabitants, while the prevalence of homozygous FH (HoFH) is 1:1.000.000. If FH is not identified and aggressively treated at an early age, affected individuals have a 20-fold increased lifetime risk of coronary heart disease compared with the general population. This narrative review provide a concise overview of recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of adults and children with FH, and discuss the utility of considering FH as a comorbidity at the entry of Cardiac Rehabilitation programmes.