Heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia is a condition that affects 1 in 250 to 300 people and is associated with the development of cardiovascular disease early in their lives.
The Fundación Hipercolesterolemia Familiar (FHF) is a charitable organization based in Madrid. Its objectives include genetic, clinical and therapeutic research to improve and control this hereditary disorder. As a result of this research work, the Foundation has developed a method to estimate the risk of suffering cardiovascular events, with the help of one of the Top Doctors’ medical professionals, Dr. Prof. Leopoldo Pérez de Isla, Adult Cardiologist, Expert in Arterial Hypertension, Hypercholesterolemia, Heart Failure, Preventive Cardiology, Infarction.
Basis on which the risk calculation equation is developed in relation to hypercholesterolemia.
We know that there are factors that make the appearance of cardiovascular disease more or less probable, but until today there was no method for quantifying this risk that also took into account the interactions between different predisposing factors.
SAFEHEART (The SpAnish Familial HypErcHolEsterolaemiA CohoRt STudy) is a prospective, long-term, open-label, multicenter follow-up study of a cohort of persons with a genetic diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) in Spain.
Using data from the SAFEHERAT study, researchers at the Familial Hypercholesterolemia Foundation (FHF) have developed an equation to estimate the 5- and 10-year risk of cardiovascular events in people with familial hypercholesterolemia.
This equation, its rationale and the details of the study have been published in the prestigious medical journal Circulation, whose bibliographic reference is: Pérez de Isla L, Alonso R, Mata N, Fernández-Pérez C, Muñiz O, Díaz-Díaz JL, Saltijeral A, Fuentes-Jiménez F, de Andrés R, Zambón D, Piedecausa M, Cepeda JM, Mauri M, Galiana J, Brea Á, Sanchez Muñoz-Torrero JF, Padró T, Argueso R, Miramontes-González JP, Badimón L, Santos RD, Watts GF, Mata P. Predicting Cardiovascular Events in Familial Hypercholesterolemia: The SAFEHEART Registry (Spanish Familial Hypercholesterolemia Cohort Study). Circulation. 2017 May 30;135(22): 2133-2144.
An App has been developed as an aid for the physician in charge of the care of adults with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. The App allows calculation of the 5- and 10-year risk of developing cardiovascular events. We have tried to design a tool that is easy to use and that provides valuable information for the physician in daily clinical practice, as well as for the affected families themselves.
The equation used for risk calculation has been developed with advanced statistical methods and its result is a percentage based on the sample analyzed. Therefore, the data should be interpreted taking into account its statistical origin and should not be taken as a certain diagnosis.
The App can be downloaded for free in its web version, iOs version and Android version (SAFEHEART RISK EQUATION).