Familial Hyperlipidemia Family Registry

The aim of the study is to identify children and families that are at risk for cardiovascular disease because of a condition known as familial hyperlipidemia. This condition may increase the risk of cardiac events such as hardening of the arteries anywhere in the body which can result in heart attacks, strokes, and death over ten fold. Children have already been assessed in the Healthy Hearts screening program and identified as having elevated cholesterol. A buccal smear will identify whether the familial hyperlipidemia condition exist in your child. If the child's test shows that they have the specific gene for familial hyperlipidemia and shows a genetic tendency towards premature heart disease, we would encourage genetic testing for as many blood family members as possible. The study plan is to determine whether the Healthy Hearts screening program is a more effective way of identifying students at risk since it is estimated that less than 10% of those individuals with the problem have been identified. If it is effective, then it will be incorporated as part of the standard screening process in the Healthy Hearts program.