Cardiovascular disease in patients with genotyped familial hypercholesterolemia in Norway during 1994-2009, a

Liv Mundal1, Marit B Veierød2,3, Thomas Halvorsen4

  • 11 The Lipid Clinic, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Norway.

Insights

Familial hypercholesterolaemia patients experience cardiovascular disease hospitalizations around age 45, with no sex differences in age. However, diagnosis registration during hospital stays was notably low.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Genetics
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) significantly elevates cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.
  • Understanding sex-based differences in CVD incidence and prevalence among FH patients is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate sex differences in CVD hospitalisation incidence and prevalence within a comprehensive cohort of genotyped FH patients.
  • To identify the age of first hospitalisation and re-hospitalisation for CVD in FH patients.

Main Methods:

  • A Norwegian registry study linked data from 5538 genotyped FH patients.
  • Patient hospitalisation data for CVD and other conditions were analyzed from 1994-2009.

Main Results:

  • Ischaemic heart disease accounted for 90% of CVD hospitalisations in FH patients.
  • The mean age at first hospitalisation was 45.1 years, with no significant sex difference.
  • Men (26.9%) had a higher hospitalisation rate than women (24.1%) (P=0.02).
  • FH diagnosis was registered in only 45.7% of patients upon discharge.

Conclusions:

  • CVD hospitalisations in FH patients primarily stem from ischaemic heart disease.
  • FH patients are hospitalised around age 45, irrespective of sex, a novel finding.
  • Low awareness and registration of FH diagnosis during hospitalisation highlight a critical gap in patient care.

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