New research has indicated that thousands of Britain in the UK may be unaware they are suffering from high cholesterol caused by an inherited condition. An audit by the Royal College of Physicians has found that many people are not being screened for familial hypercholesterolemia, despite family members having been found to have the condition.
Familiar hypercholesterolaemia causes high levels of the ‘bad’ cholesterol LDL, which can lead to furring of the arteries and therefore heart disease. One estimate suggested that up to 80% of people suffering from this are not being offered the necessary tests. Untreated it can raise the chances of heart disease in men by 50% by the time they are 50, and in women by 30% by the time they are 60.
Across 12 hospitals in England and Wales, the audit found that family members of those diagnosed with the condition were not being tested, though care for those found to have the condition was generally very good. The audit called for improved screening nationwide, with specialist provisions for diagnosing children and young people.
Experts have said that the reason testing is not reaching adequate levels is a lack of NHS funding for DNA testing, as well as not enough nurses and provisions to get families checked out. The condition has been described as a “silent killer” by Dr Mike Knapton of the British Heart Foundation, who said that if tested the 100,000 people living unaware with it could lead normal lives if treated and instructed how to manage it.