title: Prevalence and significance of cardiovascular risk factors in a large cohort of patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) vary widely in terms of onset of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
  
  
  METHODS
  The association between cardiovascular risk factors and prevalent CVD was examined in a cross-sectional study in order to elucidate their contribution to atherogenesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were recruited from 37 Dutch Lipid Clinics. The diagnosis of FH was based on a uniform diagnostic protocol, confirmed by DNA analysis in 62% of the cases. All patients were investigated free from any lipid-lowering drug for at least 6 weeks.
  
  
  METHODS
  Differences in lipids, lipoproteins and other risk factors for CVD were analysed in FH patients with and without CVD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 526 patients were assessed and more than 37% had a history of CVD with a mean age of onset of 46.8 years. Mean LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were severely elevated (8.38 +/- 2.13 mmol L-1). In univariate analysis, age, presence of hypertension or diabetes, body mass index, triglycerides (TG) and low HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) were all significantly associated with CVD. Also in multivariate analysis, all these risk factors, except TG and diabetes, were significantly linked to CVD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A high CVD risk in this large well-documented characterized sample of FH patients is not only conferred by elevated LDL-C but also by low HDL-C.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Medicine, Academic Medical Center Amsterdam, G1-114, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. p.desauvagenolting@amc.uva.nl
authors.forename: P R W
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: de Sauvage Nolting
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Defesche
authors.forename: R J A
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Buirma
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Hutten
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Lansberg
authors.forename: J J P
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Kastelein
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D006938:Hyperlipoproteinemia Type II / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D008055:Lipids; D006710:Homocysteine