This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
New initiative launched to improve diagnosis, care of familial hypercholesterolemia
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
The Familial Hypercholesterolemia Foundation, Stanford Medicine and Amgen announced the launch of the large-scale FIND FH initiative to identify and engage individuals with familial hypercholesterolemia and their families, according to a press release.
The initiative was designed to identify individuals with undiagnosed, untreated and undertreated familial hypercholesterolemia using algorithms developed in partnership with Stanford Medicine and other academic research centers, according to the release.
According to Katherine Wilemon, founder and president of The FH Foundation, more than 600,000 people in the United States have familial hypercholesterolemia, but 90% have not received an accurate diagnosis. “Correct diagnosis is the substrate of optimal care and, in the case of FH, can help reduce the consequences of this condition,” she stated in the release.
The FIND FH initiative will also feature education materials to increase awareness and information on screening of family members who may be affected. Patients identified through the initiative will be invited to enroll in the CASCADE FH registry and database, which is also maintained by The FH Foundation.
Joshua W. Knowles
“There are currently few systematic approaches to identify patients with familial hypercholesterolemia in the United States, and it is unrealistic to expect most patients to recognize FH on their own, as it is a condition largely unknown to the general public,” Joshua W. Knowles, MD, PhD, FAHA, FACC, assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine and director of the FH clinic at Stanford’s Center for Inherited Cardiovascular Disease, said in the release. “We are hopeful that the FIND FH initiative can help identify and engage individuals and families affected by FH and potentially aid physicians.”
Disclosure: The FIND FH initiative was established with financial support from Amgen. Knowles reports serving as chief medical officer of The FH Foundation, which receives support from several pharmaceutical companies, but receives no financial compensation.