Children & FH

FH Europe has been active in promoting information on FH for children.

At the November 2016 meeting of FH Europe, members were very interested in the paediatric study undertaken by Professor David Wald:- http://www.wolfson.qmul.ac.uk/current-projects/study-of-child-parent-screening-for-familial-hypercholesterolaemia#documents

A satellite meeting to the EAS 2017 conference in Prague provided an update on Paediatric Familial Hypercholesterolaemia. Benefits of early testing and awareness are reflected in member association activity which may be found in various websites: some recent publications are listed below:

• Germany’s Cholco, in conjunction with FHchol Austria, produced a German-language children’s booklet in August 2016: http://www.cholco.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/CholCo_FH-Kinderbroschuere.pdf
• HEART UK has also been active – focus groups in 2016 led to the recent publication of three booklets for children and young people which can be found on the www.heartuk.org.uk website. With support from a pan-European project, these booklets have been – or are being – translated into French and Norwegian, Portuguese, Czech, German and Greek.
• The Netherlands’ Hart&Vaatgroup (now known as Harteraad) has already produced an interactive children’s book online www.hartenvaatgroep.nl/fhwatisdat (Dutch language only)
• We have also found an interesting brochure for children, produced in Australia:- https://www.athero.org.au/fh/wp-content/uploads/FH-brochure-child.pdf

Many countries take different approaches – but for all FH Europe member organisations the aim is to ensure that FH patients are identified and able to obtain the best possible treatment from an early age.