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Watts GF, Jones LK, Sarkies MN, Pang J, Gidding SS, Libby P, Santos RD. International Atherosclerosis Society Roadmap for Familial Hypercholesterolaemia. Glob Heart 2024; 19:12. [PMID: 38273993 PMCID: PMC10809854 DOI: 10.5334/gh.1291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH), a common monogenic disorder, is a preventable cause of premature coronary artery disease and death. Up to 35 million people worldwide have FH, but most remain undetected and undertreated. Several clinical guidelines have addressed the gaps in care of FH, but little focus has been given to implementation science and practice. The International Atherosclerosis Society (IAS) has developed an evidence-informed guidance for the detection and management of patients with FH, supplemented with implementation strategies to optimize contextual models of care. The guidance is partitioned into detection, management and implementation sections. Detection deals with screening, diagnosis, genetic testing and counselling. Management includes risk stratification, treatment of adults and children with heterozygous and homozygous FH, management of FH during pregnancy, and use of lipoprotein apheresis. Specific and general implementation strategies, guided by processes specified by the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change taxonomy, are provided. Core generic implementation strategies are given for improving care. Nation-specific cholesterol awareness campaigns should be utilized to promote better detection of FH. Integrated models of care should be underpinned by health policy and adapted to meet local, regional and national needs. Clinical centres of excellence are important for taking referrals from the community. General practitioners should work seamlessly with multidisciplinary teams. All health-care providers must receive training in essential skills for caring for patients and families with FH. Management should be supported by shared decision-making and service improvement driven by patient-reported outcomes. Improvements in services require sharing of existing resources that can support care. Advocacy should be utilized to ensure sustainable funding. Digital health technologies and clinical quality registries have special value. Finally, academic-service partnerships need to be developed to identify gaps in care and set priorities for research. This new IAS guidance on FH complements the recent World Heart Federation Cholesterol Roadmap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerald F. Watts
- School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Departments of Cardiology and Internal Medicine, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Laney K. Jones
- Department of Genomic Health, Geisinger, Danville PA, USA
| | - Mitchell N. Sarkies
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jing Pang
- School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | | | - Peter Libby
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA, USA
| | - Raul D. Santos
- Lipid Clinic, Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil and Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil
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Page MM, Hardikar W, Alex G, Bates S, Srinivasan S, Stormon M, Hall K, Evans HM, Johnston P, Chen J, Wigg A, John L, Ekinci EI, O'Brien RC, Jones R, Watts GF. Long-term outcomes of liver transplantation for homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia in Australia and New Zealand. Atherosclerosis 2023; 387:117305. [PMID: 37863699 DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2023.117305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) causes severe cardiovascular disease from childhood. Conventional drug therapy is usually ineffective; lipoprotein apheresis (LA) is often required. Liver transplantation (LT) can correct the metabolic defect but is considered a treatment of last resort. Newer drugs including lomitapide and evinacumab might reduce the need for apheresis and LT. We sought to determine the long-term outcomes following LT in Australia and New Zealand. METHODS We analysed demographic, biochemical and clinical data from all patients in Australia and New Zealand who have received LT for homozygous FH, identified from the Australia and New Zealand Liver and Intestinal Transplant Registry. RESULTS Nine patients (five female; one deceased; seven aged between 3 and 6 years at the time of LT and two aged 22 and 26 years) were identified. Mean follow-up was 14.1 years (range 4-27). Baseline LDL-cholesterol off all treatment was 23 ± 4.1 mmol/L. Mean LDL-cholesterol on medical therapy (including maximal statin therapy in all patients, ezetimibe in three and LA in five) was 11 ± 5.7 mmol/L (p < 0.001). After LT, mean LDL-cholesterol was 2.6 ± 0.9 mmol/L (p = 0.004) with three patients remaining on statin therapy and none on LA. One patient died from acute myocardial infarction (AMI) three years after LT. Two patients required aortic valve replacement, more than 10 years after LT. The remaining six patients were asymptomatic after eight to 21 years of follow-up. No significant adverse events associated with immunosuppression were reported. CONCLUSIONS LT for homozygous FH was highly effective in achieving substantial long-term reduction in LDL-cholesterol concentrations in all nine patients. LT remains an option for severe cases of homozygous FH where drug therapy combined with apheresis is ineffective or unfeasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael M Page
- Medical School, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia; Western Diagnostic Pathology, Perth, Australia
| | - Winita Hardikar
- Gastroenterology and Clinical Nutrition, The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - George Alex
- Gastroenterology and Clinical Nutrition, The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sue Bates
- Gastroenterology and Clinical Nutrition, The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Shubha Srinivasan
- Institute of Endocrinology and Diabetes, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia; Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Michael Stormon
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia
| | - Kat Hall
- Hepatobiliary and Liver Transplant Surgery Unit, Austin Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Helen M Evans
- Paediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Starship Child Health, Auckland, New Zealand; Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Peter Johnston
- New Zealand Liver Transplant Unit, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - John Chen
- South Australia Liver Transplant Unit, Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide, Australia; College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Alan Wigg
- South Australia Liver Transplant Unit, Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide, Australia; College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Libby John
- South Australia Liver Transplant Unit, Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Elif I Ekinci
- Department of Endocrinology, Austin Health, Melbourne, Australia; The Australian Centre for Accelerating Diabetes Innovation, Melbourne Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Medicine, Austin Health, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Richard C O'Brien
- Department of Endocrinology, Austin Health, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Medicine, Austin Health, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Robert Jones
- Hepatobiliary and Liver Transplant Surgery Unit, Austin Health, Melbourne, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Gerald F Watts
- Medical School, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia; Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Australia.
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Lan NSR, Bajaj A, Watts GF, Cuchel M. Recent advances in the management and implementation of care for familial hypercholesterolaemia. Pharmacol Res 2023; 194:106857. [PMID: 37460004 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) is a common autosomal semi-dominant and highly penetrant disorder of the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor pathway, characterised by lifelong elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). However, many patients with FH are not diagnosed and do not attain recommended LDL-C goals despite maximally tolerated doses of potent statin and ezetimibe. Over the past decade, several cholesterol-lowering therapies such as those targeting proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) or angiopoietin-like 3 (ANGPTL3) with monoclonal antibody or ribonucleic acid (RNA) approaches have been developed that promise to close the treatment gap. The availability of new therapies with complementary modes of action of lipid metabolism has enabled many patients with FH to attain guideline-recommended LDL-C goals. Emerging therapies for FH include liver-directed gene transfer of the LDLR, vaccines targeting key proteins involved in cholesterol metabolism, and CRISPR-based gene editing of PCSK9 and ANGPTL3, but further clinical trials are required. In this review, current and emerging treatment strategies for lowering LDL-C, and ASCVD risk-stratification, as well as implementation strategies for the care of patients with FH are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick S R Lan
- Departments of Cardiology and Internal Medicine, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Australia; School of Medicine, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
| | - Archna Bajaj
- Division of Translational Medicine & Human Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Gerald F Watts
- Departments of Cardiology and Internal Medicine, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Australia; School of Medicine, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Marina Cuchel
- Division of Translational Medicine & Human Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Bajaj A, Cuchel M. Advancements in the Treatment of Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia. J Atheroscler Thromb 2022; 29:1125-1135. [PMID: 35466160 PMCID: PMC9371762 DOI: 10.5551/jat.rv17065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH) is a rare genetic disorder with extreme elevations of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) leading to premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) as early as in childhood. Management of HoFH centers around aggressive and adequate reduction of LDL-C levels to slow the trajectory of ASCVD development. Historically, lowering LDL-C levels in HoFH has been challenging because of both the markedly elevated LDL-C levels (often >400 mg/dL) and reduced response to treatment options, such as statins, for which the mechanism of action requires a functional LDL receptor. However, the treatment landscape for HoFH has rapidly progressed over the last decade. While statins and ezetimibe remain first-line treatment, patients often require addition of multiple therapies to achieve goal LDL-C levels. The PCSK9 inhibitors are an important recent addition to the available treatment options, along with lomitapide, bile acid sequestrants, and, possibly, bempedoic acid. Additionally, ANGPTL3 has emerged as an important therapeutic target, with evinacumab being the first available ANGPTL3 inhibitor on the market for the treatment of patients with HoFH. For patients who cannot achieve adequate LDL-C reduction, lipoprotein apheresis may be necessary, with the added benefit of reducing lipoprotein(a) levels that carries an added risk if also elevated in patients with HoFH. Finally, gene therapy and genome editing using CRISPR/Cas-9 are moving through clinical development and may dramatically alter the future landscape of treatment for HoFH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Archna Bajaj
- Division of Translational Medicine & Human Genetics, University of Pennsylvania
| | - Marina Cuchel
- Division of Translational Medicine & Human Genetics, University of Pennsylvania
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