Prevalence of Familial Hypercholesterolemia in Adolescents: Potential Value of Universal Screening?

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) significantly increases the risk of coronary heart disease. Most individuals are unaware they have the condition. In the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study, 1 in 267 adolescents were found to have FH. Universal cholesterol screening in childhood may offer the best strategy for diagnosing FH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]