Familial Hypercholesterolemia
Familial Hypercholesterolemia is an inherited condition that is passed down through
families, it causes LDL cholesterol levels to be very high. Heterozygous familial
hypercholesterolemia affects about 1 in 500 people. (Kenny, 2014) Homozygous condition is
very rare. This disorder can cause heart attacks at an early age. Also, this disorder is genetic,
caused by the defect on chromosome 19. This defect makes the body unable to remove LDL
from the blood. The result of this is the chance of more likely having a narrowing of arteries
from atherosclerosis at an early age. It is typically passed through families in an autosomal
dominant manner. (Weinrauch, 2014) Familial hypercholesterolemia is known to be caused by
the consumption of a high-cholesterol diet. (Middlebury Edu, 2015)
