Risk Factors Can Influence The Risk of Developing Familial hypercholesterolaemia

Genetics are NOT the only risk factor for Familial Hypercholesterolaemia.
Familial Hypercholesterolaemia is believed to be caused by a combination of environmental, genetic and lifestyle factors. Now that you have learnt about your genetic risk, you can determine how aggressively you need to make lifestyle changes to reduce your risk.
The earlier in your life that you commit to living a healthy lifestyle, the more you can reduce your risk for or delay the development of Familial Hypercholesterolaemia.

Family History

Parents, siblings, and children of an individual with familial hypercholesterolemia have a higher chance of developing hypercholesterolemia themselves.

Lifestyle

In general, eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, engaging in physical activity, and avoiding smoking can reduce the risk of hypercholesterolemia.

Smoking

Smoking increases the risk of hypercholesterolemia. Exposure to secondhand smoke, including smoke from a burning cigarette and smoke exhaled by smokers, also increases the risk of hypercholesterolemia.

Age

In general, the risk of hypercholesterolemia increases as a person gets older. With age, blood vessels become less flexible, which can impede blood flow to the heart. Also, deposits called plaques can build up over time along blood vessels and restrict blood flow to the heart.

High Blood Pressure

Chronic high blood pressure increases the risk of heart disease. High blood pressure puts excess strain and increased workload on the heart and blood vessels, which can damage them over time.

Suggested Lifestyle Changes

Dietary Recommendations:

1. Increase intake of vegetables, fruit, non-fat dairy, beans, tree nuts, fish, and lean meats.
2. Reduce consumption of saturated fat (fatty beef, lamb, cheese, butter). Instead, consume food rich in healthy fats such as olive oils, nuts, and oily fish.
3. Consume shellfish and eggs in moderations. They are low in saturated fats but still contain cholesterols.
4. Avoid trans fats (i.e. processed food, and margarine).
5. Consider adding plant stanols, which are naturally occurring plant chemicals that block cholesterol absorption in the digestive system, therefore lowering the levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol in the blood. Plant stanols can be found in wheat germ, wheat bran, peanuts, vegetable oils (olive oil), almonds, and Brussels sprouts. Certain dairy products have added plant stanols in it which include fortified milk, spreads, yogurts, and yogurt drinks.

Lifestyle Recommendations:

1. Stop smoking to avoid depletion of good cholesterol (HDL).
2. Avoid or reduce alcohol consumption. Alcohol can further increase LDL levels. Maintain a healthy weight. Obese and overweight individuals drastically increase LDL levels.
3. Increase sleep quality and quantity to aid LDL management.

Exercise Recommendations:

1. Incorporate at least 30-60 minutes of aerobic exercise at least 5 times a week. Some exercises include walking, cycling, and swimming.
2. Incorporate resistance training at least 4 times a week to increase HDL levels and reduce LDL levels.

Result Explanation Recommendations:

1. Stop smoking to reduce the risk of coronary artery disease. Smoking causes excessive oxidative and tissue damage to the vascular system. This can dramatically accelerate plaque buildup and CAD.
2. Avoid excessive alcohol consumption to reduce the risk of CAD progression. Avoid exceeding more than 2 servings of alcoholic beverages per day. However, studies have shown light alcohol consumption to be beneficial in stimulating a healthy heart function. A serving of wine a day is high in resveratrol, a potent antioxidant that can preserve healthy heart function.
3. Aim to do more physical activities to increase cardiovascular and respiratory performance as well as improve body composition.