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NICE to check for hereditary cholesterol

Children as young as two who are at risk of inherited cholesterol disorder, familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH), could be screened for the genetic defect, which makes them eight times more likely to suffer from a heart attack.

This follows new guidelines set by the National Institute for ClinicalExcellence (NICE) to reduce premature deaths in people who haveinherited high cholesterol.

General practitioner and guideline development group chair, Dr RubinMinhas said, 'This guideline provides the NHS with a pragmatic andeffective blueprint for reducing tens of thousands of deaths frompremature heart disease.'

NICE recommends that children with two affected parents should be testedbefore the age of five for the inherited genetic mutation, those withone affected parent below the age of ten and, in extreme cases, childrenbelow the age of two should be screened.

Initially, children with more severe cases of FH will be given statinsto control the defect that results in abnormally high cholesterol frombirth.

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