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European Heart Journal Aug 2014Homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (HoFH) is a rare life-threatening condition characterized by markedly elevated circulating levels of low-density lipoprotein...
Homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia: new insights and guidance for clinicians to improve detection and clinical management. A position paper from the Consensus Panel on Familial Hypercholesterolaemia of the European Atherosclerosis Society.
AIMS
Homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (HoFH) is a rare life-threatening condition characterized by markedly elevated circulating levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and accelerated, premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ACVD). Given recent insights into the heterogeneity of genetic defects and clinical phenotype of HoFH, and the availability of new therapeutic options, this Consensus Panel on Familial Hypercholesterolaemia of the European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS) critically reviewed available data with the aim of providing clinical guidance for the recognition and management of HoFH.
METHODS AND RESULTS
Early diagnosis of HoFH and prompt initiation of diet and lipid-lowering therapy are critical. Genetic testing may provide a definitive diagnosis, but if unavailable, markedly elevated LDL-C levels together with cutaneous or tendon xanthomas before 10 years, or untreated elevated LDL-C levels consistent with heterozygous FH in both parents, are suggestive of HoFH. We recommend that patients with suspected HoFH are promptly referred to specialist centres for a comprehensive ACVD evaluation and clinical management. Lifestyle intervention and maximal statin therapy are the mainstays of treatment, ideally started in the first year of life or at an initial diagnosis, often with ezetimibe and other lipid-modifying therapy. As patients rarely achieve LDL-C targets, adjunctive lipoprotein apheresis is recommended where available, preferably started by age 5 and no later than 8 years. The number of therapeutic approaches has increased following approval of lomitapide and mipomersen for HoFH. Given the severity of ACVD, we recommend regular follow-up, including Doppler echocardiographic evaluation of the heart and aorta annually, stress testing and, if available, computed tomography coronary angiography every 5 years, or less if deemed necessary.
CONCLUSION
This EAS Consensus Panel highlights the need for early identification of HoFH patients, prompt referral to specialized centres, and early initiation of appropriate treatment. These recommendations offer guidance for a wide spectrum of clinicians who are often the first to identify patients with suspected HoFH.
Topics: Anticholesteremic Agents; Arcus Senilis; Atherosclerosis; Blood Component Removal; Cardiovascular Diseases; Cholesterol, LDL; Diagnosis, Differential; Early Diagnosis; Gene Frequency; Genetic Heterogeneity; Homozygote; Humans; Hyperlipoproteinemia Type II; Liver Transplantation; Mutation; Pedigree; Phenotype; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Xanthomatosis
PubMed: 25053660
DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehu274 -
Indian Journal of Ophthalmology May 2022To evaluate corneal densitometry (CD) of patients with arcus senilis (AS) and its association with the serum lipid markers.
PURPOSE
To evaluate corneal densitometry (CD) of patients with arcus senilis (AS) and its association with the serum lipid markers.
METHODS
This is a cross-sectional, case-control study. The AS diagnosis was made clinically. Forty-five eyes of 45 patients with AS and 38 eyes of 38 age-matched control subjects with no noticeable AS were enrolled in the study. All participants underwent detailed ophthalmologic examination along with corneal Scheimpflug imaging with CD measurement. The evaluated serum lipid markers of the participants included total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL). The Spearman correlation analysis was used to correlate the serum lipid values and the CD. P < 0.05 was defined as statistically significant.
RESULTS
The male to female ratio was 26/19 and 14/24 in the study and control groups, respectively (P = 0.057). The mean age was 59.56 ± 8.7 and 56.47 ± 8.6 years in the study and control groups, respectively (P = 0.117). The mean total CD values in the zones extending from 2 to 12 mm were higher in the study group than in the control group (P < 0.001). The serum HDL level was found to be significantly decreased in the study group compared to the control group (P = 0.048 and Z = -1.976). There was a significant positive correlation between the serum triglyceride level and the CD value of the outermost zone (10-12 mm) (r = 0.334 and P = 0.025).
CONCLUSION
The CD of patients with AS was found to increase not only in the peripheral zone but also in the cornea's paracentral zone compared to the healthy controls. The serum triglyceride level should give an insight into the intensity of arcus senilis. The serum HDL levels were decreased in patients with AS.
Topics: Aged; Arcus Senilis; Case-Control Studies; Cornea; Cross-Sectional Studies; Densitometry; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Triglycerides
PubMed: 35502026
DOI: 10.4103/ijo.IJO_2696_21 -
American Journal of Ophthalmology Aug 2018
Topics: Arcus Senilis; Asian People; Cardiovascular Diseases; Humans
PubMed: 29853153
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2018.05.016 -
American Journal of Ophthalmology Apr 2018
Topics: Arcus Senilis; Asian People; Cardiovascular Diseases; Humans
PubMed: 29422407
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2018.01.024 -
Journal of Pharmacy & Bioallied Sciences Apr 2015The corneal arcus consists of cholesterol, phospholipids and triglycerides. As serum triglyceride is one of the accurate of lipid metabolic state, greater importance was...
The corneal arcus consists of cholesterol, phospholipids and triglycerides. As serum triglyceride is one of the accurate of lipid metabolic state, greater importance was given, and it was found to be elevated in 72% of patients and a positive correlation with increasing age. This suggests a strong correlation between impairment of lipid metabolism and incidence of corneal arcus.
PubMed: 26015693
DOI: 10.4103/0975-7406.155765 -
Indian Journal of Ophthalmology Oct 2019
Topics: Aged; Arcus Senilis; Cataract; Cataract Extraction; Cornea; Humans; Male; Visual Acuity
PubMed: 31546532
DOI: 10.4103/ijo.IJO_402_19 -
Cell and Tissue Banking Sep 2014We developed a non-invasive device to quantify transparency (T), clear corneal diameter (CCD) excluding arcus senilis, and scleral rim diameter (SRD) of stored corneas....
We developed a non-invasive device to quantify transparency (T), clear corneal diameter (CCD) excluding arcus senilis, and scleral rim diameter (SRD) of stored corneas. The T value (expressed in % on a relative scale), based on the modulation transfer function principle, referred to the ratio of local contrasts of a special LED backlit chart measured with and without cornea. CCD and SRD (in mm) were automatically calculated by morphologic operations. Firstly, we assessed measurement reproducibility. We then determined the agreement of T and CCD values with 3-level scores given independently by three experts on 179 scientific corneas. Thirdly, an eye bank was equipped with the device, and 358 consecutive organ-cultured (OC) corneas were tested for donor- and storage- related factors possibly influencing T and CCD. Reproducibility of T, CCD and SRD measurements was high, with intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.982, 0.886, and 0.999 respectively. Capacity to discriminate the three levels of transparency and arcus senilis was good, with T of 20.0 (10.0-33.6), 38.3 (24.3-75.4) and 57.9 (33.9-90.0) % respectively for T deemed poor, average, and good (P < 0.001), and CCD of 9.8 (7.3-10.6), 10.5 (8.2-11.5), and 11.1 (9.9-12.0) mm respectively for arcus senilis deemed prominent, moderate or absent (P < 0.001). T was correlated with neither donor age nor endothelial cell density nor storage time, but slightly worsened during OC for corneas assessed twice. In conclusion, the device, which can be easily integrated in the facilities of an eye bank, provides reliable objective measurement of T, CCD, and SRD. This could be a useful tool for standardizing quality assessment of stored corneas and consequently optimizing their selection for penetrating, endothelial or anterior lamellar keratoplasty.
Topics: Arcus Senilis; Cornea; Corneal Transplantation; Endothelium, Corneal; Eye Banks; Humans; Organ Preservation; Reproducibility of Results; Tissue Donors
PubMed: 24306057
DOI: 10.1007/s10561-013-9414-9 -
Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology Mar 2017The Hypertension Community has 3 conflicting dilemmas: a goal systolic pressure of 120 mm Hg or less (the SPRINT Trials), 40% of our 60,000,000 hypertensives still... (Review)
Review
UNLABELLED
The Hypertension Community has 3 conflicting dilemmas: a goal systolic pressure of 120 mm Hg or less (the SPRINT Trials), 40% of our 60,000,000 hypertensives still sustain blood pressures above 140/90 mm Hg, and our most potent antihypertensive drug minoxidil sits on the sidelines, imprisoned in the Food and Drug Administration's Black Box designation. My solutions to these dilemmas are: (1) review of the facts of our most potent antihypertensive drug minoxidil which is essentially free of toxicity, (2) treatment focus on the fundamental cause of high blood pressure, that is excess dietary sodium and, (3) prevention of, and/or reversal of, the fundamental mechanism of worsening hypertension, arteriolar hypertrophy.
SUMMARY
The Hypertension Community has 3 conflicting dilemmas: a goal systolic pressure of 120 mm Hg or less (the SPRINT Trials), 40% of our 60,000,000 hypertensives still sustain blood pressures above 140/90 mm Hg, and our most potent antihypertensive drug minoxidil sits on the sidelines, imprisoned in the Food and Drug Administration's Black Box designation. My solutions to these dilemmas are: (1) review of the facts of our most potent antihypertensive drug minoxidil which is essentially free of toxicity, (2) treatment focus on the fundamental cause of high blood pressure (HBP) and excess dietary sodium and, (3) prevention of, and/or reversal of, the fundamental mechanism of worsening hypertension, arteriolar hypertrophy. My focus at UT Southwestern in Dallas was on extremely severely hypertensive patients with a quantifiable, measurable complication of HBP, progression of nephrosclerotic damage to kidneys. This model had the greatest likelihood of exposing fundamental disregulatory mechanisms in hypertensive patients (which it did) and the potential for study of the most relevant antihypertensive drug interactions to achieve optimal blood pressure control (which it did). By maintaining diastolic pressures at 80 mm Hg or less in the first National Institutes of Health-supported, long-term randomized clinical trial to save the kidneys, the bases for a fundamental blood pressure support mechanism (arteriolar hypertrophy) was illuminated but not fully described until now. This fundamental hypertensinogenic mechanism results from HBP but with time and severity, becomes its own raison d'être. I am now aged 84 years. As a result of a stroke 20 years ago, which caused permanent double vision, and because of poor blood pressure control with triple therapy, I started using minoxidil 5 mg/d along with atenolol and occasional furosemide. Now, along with some dietary salt restriction, my resting blood pressure is 110/65-125/75 and, despite >30 years history of HBP, I have no retinal arteriolar hypertrophy nor arcus senilis (Dr. Schwartz-U. of Miami) which is almost universally present at this age. Yes, prevention of, or reversal of, arteriolar hypertrophy should be a central focus of HBP treatment. I simply wish to share a bit of accumulated wisdom that might be of use to others.
Topics: Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; Antihypertensive Agents; Blood Pressure; Calcium Channel Blockers; Humans; Hypertension; Kidney; Minoxidil; Sodium Chloride, Dietary
PubMed: 28267687
DOI: 10.1097/FJC.0000000000000458