Ultra-Rare Inherited Form of High Cholesterol is Dangerously Underdiagnosed and Undertreated

Dr. Mary McGowan, MD, Chief Medical Officer at the Family Heart Foundation, discusses a recent study that revealed concerning findings showing the diagnosis and treatment of a rare genetic disorder, homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH), is dangerously underdiagnosed and undertreated. Results published in the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA) by the Family Heart Foundation found that diagnosis of HoFH, a condition which can lead to severely elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), often does not occur until a heart attack or other cardiac event.

Dr. Mary McGowan received her medical degree from the University of Massachusetts. She remained at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center for both internship and residency. She completed her fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. McGowan is the Co-Director of the Lipid Clinic at Dartmouth Hitchcock Heart and Vascular Center. She is the author of numerous articles and five books. She has been the principal investigator on over 30 national and international clinical trials and has lectured widely in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia on cholesterol metabolism. Dr. McGowan serves on the alumni board at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and the National Lipid Association Foundation Board. She has previously served on the National Lipid Association Board of Directors, the NH Affiliate of the American Heart Association Board and was the first Chief Medical Officer of the Familial Hypercholesterolemia Foundation.