Early tests urged for inherited high cholesterol
2026-09-02
Silent arteries, not lifestyle, sit at the center of a warning from Philippine cardiology experts about familial hypercholesterolemia, a genetic disorder that loads the bloodstream with low‑density lipoprotein long before symptoms appear. By the time chest pain or weakness in a limb develops, the underlying atherosclerotic plaque has often been building for years under the radar of routine checkups that focus only on adults with obvious risk factors.
The sharper claim from specialists is simple: without early LDL cholesterol testing, inherited high cholesterol almost guarantees an unfair head start for heart attack and stroke. Familial hypercholesterolemia alters hepatic LDL receptor function, so particles linger in circulation and damage endothelial cells even in childhood, pushing some patients toward coronary artery disease in early adult life despite normal weight, regular exercise and no smoking history.
Screening, they argue, should no longer wait for symptoms or middle age but target families where premature cardiovascular events cluster, using fasting lipid profiles and cascade testing of relatives once a case is found. With high‑intensity statins, ezetimibe and, when needed, PCSK9 inhibitors, clinicians can aggressively lower LDL and stabilize plaque, a strategy Philippine experts frame as a basic public health obligation rather than an optional extra for the worried well.
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