Familial Lipid Disorders

Topic Overview

A familial lipid disorder is a condition that runs in families. It causes very high levels of cholesterol. This condition can cause a person to get coronary artery disease (CAD) while still young. Because familial lipid disorders are rare, your doctor may only suspect one if you have:

Your family doctor may not have much experience with familial lipid disorders, so you may have to see a specialist, such as an endocrinologist. And some cardiologists specialize in lipid disorders as well as heart problems.

Types of familial lipid disorders

Disorder

Cholesterol level

Other details

Familial combined hyperlipidemia (FCHL)
  • High total cholesterol, usually with high triglycerides
  • High triglycerides and low HDL
Familial defective apolipoprotein B-100 
Familial dysbetalipoproteinemia (type 3 hyperlipoproteinemia)
  • Total cholesterol of 300–600
  • Triglyceride of 400–800
  • CAD, heart attack, and stroke at a young age
  • Xanthomas, a skin condition in which small bumps of fat appear under the skin
Familial hypertriglyceridemia
  • Very high triglycerides
  • Risk for even higher triglycerides from other causes
Heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia
  • Total cholesterol of 325–450
  • CAD before age 50
  • Small, pale ring around the iris of the eye
  • Xanthomas on tendons in young adults
Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia
  • Total cholesterol of 500–1,000
  • CAD before age 20
  • Xanthomas on tendons within the first few months of life

Related Information

Credits

ByHealthwise Staff
Primary Medical ReviewerE. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine
Specialist Medical ReviewerCarl Orringer, MD - Cardiology, Clinical Lipidology
Last RevisedJuly 2, 2010
By: Healthwise StaffLast Revised: July 2, 2010
Medical Review: E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine
Carl Orringer, MD - Cardiology, Clinical Lipidology

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