Heterozygous FH

Familial Hypercholesterolaemia is an autosomal dominant disorder. This means you only have to have one copy of the altered gene to have the condition.

Almost all people with FH have heterozygous FH or ‘HeFH’. This is the name given to FH when one altered gene is inherited.

• Each child of a parent with HeFH has a 50:50 (one in two) chance of inheriting the condition.
• It can affect boys and girls equally. It does not skip a generation – in other words, a child cannot inherit FH if neither parent has it.
• Adults with HeFH can develop early heart disease if they are not diagnosed and treated at an early age
• Most people with FH will need to take medication and usually a statin is prescribed
• People with FH are strongly encouraged to adopt a healthy diet and lifestyle
• The age at which treatment is started depends on many things including the level of LDL-cholesterol and the family history. Statins may be started in childhood