Familial hypercholesterolemia: current treatment and advances in management

Abstract

Heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia is associated with elevated levels of LDL-cholesterol and the development of premature cardiovascular disease. The condition is considerably under-diagnosed and under-treated. Statins are the first choice treatment for all patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. For those patients who do not reach their treatment target or who are unable to use adequate statin dose, several alternative treatment modalities can be used, either as add-on therapy or as monotherapy. In this review the various treatment options are discussed.

Keywords::

• cardiovascular disease
• familial hypercholesterolemia
• LDL
• therapy

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Kastelein has received consulting fees from Isis, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Merck, Schering Plough and Roche, lecture fees from Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Merck-Schering Plough and Roche, and research grants from pharmaceuticals Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Merck-Schering Plough, Roche, Sanofi. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.