Use of new software developed with NIHR SPCR funding is identifying more patients at high risk of early heart disease and heart attacks. Earlier diagnosis and treatment are saving lives and shaping healthcare policy.
High blood cholesterol is a key risk factor for heart disease and heart attacks. Although high cholesterol is common, 1 in 250 people in the UK have a genetic condition linked to early heart disease.
The condition, known as familial hypercholesterolaemia, causes dangerously high cholesterol levels from birth. Without treatment, around 50% of men and 30% of women will develop heart disease by the age of 55.
Early diagnosis and treatment can be lifesaving. However, as fewer than 10% of people have been diagnosed and treated, more than 200,000 people remain at risk from premature heart disease.
Supported by an NIHR award of £520,000, researchers developed new software to identify more people in primary care at high risk of familial hypercholesterolaemi
Read the full case study on the NIHR website
The study was funded by the NIHR School for Primary Care Research project no. 332 and 361