Poor screening 'puts thousands at risk' of heart disease

Thousands of people are at risk of heart disease due to poor screening processes.

This is according to the British Heart Foundation (BHF), which has revealed that very few families are being systematically screened to find out if anybody has the condition familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH).

FH is an inherited condition that can result in early heart disease caused by high levels of LDL cholesterol.

However, the BHF's audit or screening centres around the UK found that families of diagnosed patients are not being considered at risk.

Medical director of the BHF Professor Peter Weissberg commented: "[UK researchers have] shown that early identification and treatment of people with the condition could not only prevent people from having a heart attack in their 30s or 40s but could in fact give them back a normal life-expectancy.

© Adfero Ltd 

Heart treatment news : 28 January 2011