title: Health-related quality of life in elderly patients with familial hypercholesterolemia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There are very few descriptions on how familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), a genetic disorder with an increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), affects older patients. The aim of this study was to analyze the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of elderly patients with FH.
  
  
  METHODS
  All FH patients with the same FH North Karelia-mutation aged 65 and over living in North Karelia province in Eastern Finland were asked to participate in the study in 2003. They were compared with age-standardized controls from the Finnish general population. A total of forty-three elderly FH patients were identified and thirty-seven of them (aged 65 to 84 years, M/F 10/27) agreed to participate. Most of them (27/37) had been diagnosed with CHD. All but one of these FH patients had been using statins for approximately 15 years. HRQoL was assessed with the RAND-36 (SF-36) and 15D instruments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Despite the clear cardiovascular morbidity and low socioeconomic status, these FH patients enjoyed a similar HRQoL as the age-standardized controls in the general population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lifelong hypercholesterolemia was not associated with poorer HRQoL in elderly survivors of FH. These elderly FH individuals were characterized by their healthy lifestyle and long-term statin treatment.
authors.affiliation: North Karelia Central Hospital, Joensuu, Finland. laura.hyttinen@pkssk.fi
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hyttinen
authors.forename: Päivi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kekäläinen
authors.forename: Alpo F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Vuorio
authors.forename: Harri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sintonen
authors.forename: Timo E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Strandberg
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015897:Comorbidity; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D006938:Hyperlipoproteinemia Type II / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents