Faecal Fat, Bile Acid Excretion, and Body Height in Familial Hypercholesterolaemia and Hyperglyceridaemia

Abstract

Investigations on family members of patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia (Type II) showed that the hypercholesterolaemic relatives were shorter than the unaffected (normocholesterolaemic) ones. The hyperglyceridaemic (Type IV) family members of Type IV patients had equal body height with the unaffected relatives, the subjects with Type II pattern tending to have subnormal stature. Further studies revealed that the hypercholesterolaemic subjects exhibited a slightly increased faecal fat excretion while faecal bile acid elimination was subnormal. In hyperglyceridaemic subjects faecal fat and bile acids were within the normal limits.

Key Words:

• Bile acids
• body height
• cholesterol
• faecal fat
• hypercholesterolaemia
• hyperglyceridaemia
• triglyceridaemia