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familial hypercholesterolemia
noun
: an inherited metabolic disorder marked by excess accumulation of LDL cholesterol in the blood resulting especially in atherosclerosis and irregular yellow skin lesions
Examples of familial hypercholesterolemia in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Though your body needs fat to function and fat isn't inherently bad for your health, some people, such as those with familial hypercholesterolemia, are more sensitive to high-fat, high-cholesterol foods like cheese.
—Jillian Kubala, Health, 1 July 2024
Other heart conditions, like familial hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol) and high lipoprotein (a) (proteins and fats that carry cholesterol), can be inherited, and a family history of heart disease that isn’t genetic puts you at higher risk, too.
—Sarah Klein, TIME, 11 Apr. 2024
The 10 patients in this Phase 1 trial had heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, a genetic disease that causes high levels of bad cholesterol and advanced heart disease.
—Meghana Keshavan, STAT, 13 Nov. 2023
Verve's research was limited to people with a genetic condition called heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, in which cholesterol levels are sky-high from birth.
—Erika Edwards, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2023
Each had a genetic abnormality, familial hypercholesterolemia, that affects around one million people in the United States.
—Gina Kolata, New York Times, 12 Nov. 2023
Although the trial is focused on people with the genetic condition familial hypercholesterolemia, Kathiresan hopes the one-and-done therapy may one day be used more broadly, to permanently reduce the risk of heart disease in millions of people with high cholesterol.
—Ryan Cross, BostonGlobe.com, 12 July 2022
Current drugs available for familial hypercholesterolemia lower LDL cholesterol by as much as 50 to 60 percent, but they must be injected once or twice a month, a schedule many patients have a hard time sticking to, said Dr. Gary Balady, director of preventative cardiology at Boston Medical Center.
—Ryan Cross, BostonGlobe.com, 12 July 2022
In the next decade, Crispr-Cas9 and other new gene-editing techniques may protect the health not only of Ms. Wilemon and others with familial hypercholesterolemia but millions of people with a range of conditions, including chronic pain and diabetes.
—Amy Dockser Marcus, WSJ, 5 May 2021
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Word History
First Known Use
1966, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of familial hypercholesterolemia was
in 1966
Dictionary Entries Near familial hypercholesterolemia
Cite this Entry
“Familial hypercholesterolemia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/familial%20hypercholesterolemia. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
Medical Definition
familial hypercholesterolemia
noun
: a disorder of lipid metabolism that is caused by defective or absent receptors for LDLs on cell surfaces, that is marked by an increase in blood plasma LDLs and by an accumulation of LDLs in the body (as in connective tissue) resulting in xanthomas, atherosclerosis, and an increased risk of heart attack and coronary artery disease, and that is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait
More from Merriam-Webster on familial hypercholesterolemia
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about familial hypercholesterolemia
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