Unveiling Familial Hypercholesterolemia—Review, Cardiovascular Complications, Lipid-Lowering Treatment and Its Efficacy

Abstract

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a genetic disorder primarily transmitted in an autosomal-dominant manner. We distinguish two main forms of FH, which differ in the severity of the disease, namely homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH) and heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH). The characteristic feature of this disease is a high concentration of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in the blood. However, the level may significantly vary between the two mentioned types of FH, and it is decidedly higher in HoFH. A chronically elevated concentration of LDL-C in the plasma leads to the occurrence of certain abnormalities, such as xanthomas in the tendons and skin, as well as corneal arcus. Nevertheless, a significantly more severe phenomenon is leading to the premature onset of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its clinical implications, such as cardiac events, stroke or vascular dementia, even at a relatively young age. Due to the danger posed by this medical condition, we have investigated how both non-pharmacological and selected pharmacological treatment impact the course of FH, thereby reducing or postponing the risk of clinical manifestations of CVD. The primary objective of this review is to provide a comprehensive summary of the current understanding of FH, the effectiveness of lipid-lowering therapy in FH and to explain the anatomopathological correlation between FH and premature CVD development, with its complications.