Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a genetic condition that causes high cholesterol and increases the risk of heart disease. A large number of patients with FH have heart attacks before the age of 50, and as there aren’t always any obvious symptoms, many of them don’t realize they have an issue until it’s too late
Your doctor can perform a lipid screening to check the amount of cholesterol and lipids in your blood. If an issue is detected, they may recommend treatments to manage your cholesterol and can also refer you for FH testing.
Other signs of high cholesterol may also be present and can be detected during a physical exam. These include a yellowing of the eyes, a swollen Achilles tendon, and lumps in your knuckles, elbows, or knees.
If you have any of these symptoms , don’t perform a self - diagnosis and immediat ely assume you have familial hypercholesterolemia . There are many other reasons why these symptoms might be present. Instead, book an appointment with your doctor and get yourself checked over
There are a few ways that the symptoms of familial hypercholesterolemia can be kept under control.
If you have very high cholesterol levels, your doctor may prescribe a statin and will also advise you to have regular cholesterol tests.
Diet and lifestyle changes are key, as well
A minimum of 150 minutes of moderate exercise is needed every week for optimal heart health, and a diet rich in
You should also speak to your doctor abou t supplements like Citrus Bergamot Superfruit, which is found inBergamet Pro+ . It’s a natural supplement derived from citrus bergamot fruits and it has been prove n to reduce choleste rol and aid with overall heart health. It can be used in individuals who don’t require statins and patients who are intolerant to statins
It was once thought that diet and lifestyle played the biggest role in the development of heart disease, with genetics accounting for around 15% of the risk. These days, genetics are thought to count for around 40 - 50% of the risk , and that’s mainly because our understanding of genetic predispositions ha s greatly improved over the last few decades
However, that doesn’t mean that if you’re predisposed, there’s nothing you can do about it.
As the saying goes, your genes load the gun, but your lifestyle pul ls the trigger.
In other words, your genes can make you predisposed to a certain illness, but the things you eat and the way you
live still play a big role
It’s like walking across a rickety old bridge. No matter how careful you are, there’s a chance yo u will slip and fall. But that doesn’t mean you should start doing handstands and pirouettes
Exercise more, eat whole foods, stop smoking, and try to stress less. Making all of these positive changes will reduce your risk of heart disease regardless of whether you have a genetic predisposition or not.
Do you have a family history of heart attacks and strokes? If so, you may have a genetic condition known as f amilial hypercholesterolemia (FH) . It’s relatively rare, but it could drastically increase your risk of early mortality, so it’s something you should look into.
In this guide, we’ll talk more about FH and the ways it is diagnosed and treated..
The bad news is that sufferers are more likely to have a heart attack before the age of 50. The good news is that there are multiple ways t o manage it and reduce that risk, as discussed in this guide
Yours Sincerely,
The BergaMet Team