title: Familial Hypercholesterolemia and the 2013 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guidelines: Myths, Oversimplification, and Misinterpretation Versus Facts.
abstract: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a genetic condition resulting in severe, lifelong elevations in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and a marked increased risk of early-onset coronary disease. FH is treatable when identified, yet is vastly under-recognized and undertreated. Although the 2013 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines on the treatment of cholesterol presented a paradigm shift, we believe that there have been serious oversimplifications, misinterpretations, and erroneous reporting about the current ACC/AHA cholesterol guidelines that have contributed to suboptimal care for these subjects. In summary, the ACC/AHA guidelines place tremendous emphasis on the identification of patients with FH, the initiation of high-intensity statin therapy, the need to obtain follow-up lipid values to assess the efficacy and compliance to lifestyle and medical therapy, and the role of nonstatin drugs when needed for optimal care of the individual patient.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Medicine and Cardiovascular Institute, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California; Familial Hypercholesterolemia Clinic, Stanford Center for Inherited Cardiovascular Disease, Stanford, California; The FH Foundation, South Pasadena, Stanford, California.
authors.forename: Joshua W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Knowles
authors.affiliation: Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois; Vascular Center, Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Neil J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Stone
authors.affiliation: The FH Foundation, South Pasadena, California; Sections of Cardiovascular Research and Cardiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas; Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Christie M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Ballantyne
mesh_terms: D000572:American Heart Association; D002309:Cardiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D019468:Disease Management; D006801:Humans; D006938:Hyperlipoproteinemia Type II / Q000628:therapy*; D015994:Incidence; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology