Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH) in Canada

Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH) is a rare disorder of lipid metabolism, characterized by extremely elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and marked premature cardiovascular disease. The Canadian HoFH Registry was established to understand treatment patterns and clinical outcomes for this population in Canada. This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics, use of lipid-lowering therapies, and cardiovascular outcomes of patients with HoFH.

The HoFH registry used a retrospective cohort study design to collect information on patients with a clinical or genetic diagnosis of HoFH.

Data were available for 67 patients. At the last follow-up visit, the median age was 44 years (interquartile range (IQR): 25-61 years). The median age at diagnosis was 13 years (IQR 4-31 years) and the median highest recorded LDL-C level was 13.53 mmol/L (IQR 10.60-17.00 mmol/L). The lowest treated LDL-C levels were 1.80 mmol/L (IQR 0.92-3.00 mmol/L) with 86.6% of patients on statins, 85.1% on ezetimibe, 41.8% on PCSK9 inhibitors, 20.9% on lomitapide, 40.3% on evinacumab, and 43.3% treated with LDL apheresis/plasmapheresis. Major adverse cardiovascular events were observed in 20.9% of patients, with a mean age at onset of 41 years (IQR 20-53 years).

This analysis provides valuable insights into the evolving clinical profile of patients with HoFH across Canada. Despite advances in treatment, a significant proportion of patients continue to experience major cardiovascular events, underscoring the need for early diagnosis, aggressive lipid-lowering management, and equitable access to evidence-based therapies to optimize long-term outcomes and improve survival in this population.