When was the last time you or your children had their cholesterol levels checked? Do you have a strong family history of heart attack in your family? Do you want to have a healthy heart?

If you and your family have not been checked and/or you have a first degree relative that has premature heart disease (heart attack in a man <45 years old or a woman<55 years old) then it is time to see your doctor.

One in 300 to 500 people will have one gene mutation for familial hyperlipidemia (FH). This results in total cholesterol levels between 350 and 550 mg/dl. The form of FH with two gene mutations only occurs in 1 in 1,000,000 resulting in cholesterol levels between 650 and 1000 mg/dl. Both forms of these mutations puts patients at high risk for premature heart disease.

If aggressively treated, heart disease can be avoided but the key is to discover it early in life. The easiest way to do that is to have an exam by your physician and have a simple cholesterol panel done.

FH may result in cholesterol deposits on the skin and in the eye. A physician can easily detect these on exam. With the cholesterol blood panel the following results indicate FH in 80% of those with the following:

LDL cholesterol >249 mg/dl in a patient 30 or older
Or
LDL cholesterol > 219 mg/dl for patients between 20 and 29
Or
LDL cholesterol >189 mg/dl in a patient under age 20

Although it is relatively easy to detect and treat this problem, many people are going undiagnosed. That is why it is so important to have your children screened between the ages of 9 and 11. If you have a family history of hyperlipidemia and heart disease the recommendation is to test children by the age of 2. All patients should be tested by the age of 20.

The treatment for FH is the same as that for high cholesterol that is not hereditary, however it is generally started earlier in life and more aggressively with the goal of reducing LDL cholesterol by 50%. A heart healthy diet such as the Mediterranean diet and (for those who want to be as aggressive as possible) a vegan diet along with exercise are the first lines of treatment. Statins, as tolerated are the medications that are generally recommended.

It is really important to be proactive about your health. For FH it is essential. The earlier it is detected and treated, the less likely disease will develop. Be smart and take care of your heart (and those of your children).