Association of dietary patterns and components with atherosclerosis risk biomarkers in familial hypercholesterolemia

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a relatively common genetic disorder associated with elevated atherosclerotic risk. Dietary interventions can modulate processes associated with cardiovascular risk and potentiate the impact of pharmacological lipid-lowering therapies. This review evaluates recent findings of dietary patterns and their components on risk biomarkers in people with FH.

Diets lower in saturated fatty acids (SFA) may reduce low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C); however, their effects seem to be modest. A Mediterranean style diet apparently exerts more robust effects on plasma LDL-C, apolipoprotein B and C reactive protein concentrations than one restricted in SFA. Supplementation of plant sterols and stanols reduces LDL-C especially in children with FH. Caloric restricted diets may reduce weight and improve triglyceride levels in individuals with FH and excess body weight.

Despite the strong impact of genetic variants, dietary patterns mostly low in SFA and especially the Mediterranean diet may influence risk biomarkers in FH. However, most available studies are limited by cross-sectional design, small number of study subjects and short-term follow-ups. Robust interventional studies are necessary to test the impact of dietary patterns in people with FH.