Defining the challenges of familial hypercholesterolemia screening: introduction

Heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is one of the most common serious genetic conditions known. Appropriate treatment is clearly cost-effective, yet public health efforts are minimal in most countries. Despite remarkable progress in understanding of the genetic basis of cardiovascular disease and much talk about personalized medicine, we are still missing huge opportunities to find and help people with FH. Indeed, FH is the only genetic cause of premature CAD for which a systematic, population-based approach to find affected individuals and screen their families is clearly warranted at this time. Finding and helping persons with FH is the mission of the MEDPED program.