Poorly Managed High Cholesterol

Katherine Wilemon, founder of the Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) Foundation, who had a heart attack at age 39 due to undiagnosed and unmanaged FH, and Dr. Pamela Taub, an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of California San Diego, discuss the risks associated with poorly managed cholesterol, risk factors for FH and treatment approaches that can make a difference for people who struggle to reach their cholesterol goals.

Katherine Wilemon is the Founder, President & CEO of the FH Foundation, a leading research and advocacy non-profit organization focused on reducing heart disease by driving scientific understanding and evidence-based care of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). FH is a common, but vastly under diagnosed, genetic disorder. After being turned away from the ER several times and having a heart attack at the age of 38, Katherine set out to raise awareness of FH and help others to receive an accurate diagnosis and appropriate care. The FH Foundation has developed innovative partnerships to accelerate the adoption of evidence-based diagnosis and treatment for individuals with FH, by harnessing the power of artificial intelligence, genomics and patient-driven research. The FH Foundation launched an ambitious big data initiative to identify the 1.3 million individuals with FH in the U.S., established the largest longitudinal FH clinical registry, and applied for and received a national diagnosis code for FH. The FH Foundation works in partnership with patients, clinicians, scientists, and all participants in the healthcare ecosystem to develop innovative solutions that will overcome barriers to diagnosis, treatment and access The organization’s accomplishments, to date, include: • Establishing FH Awareness Day (September 24); • Establishing and maintaining the national CASCADE FH® Registry in partnership with 40 clinical sites, to collect comprehensive longitudinal data to better understand outcomes of FH diagnosis and treatment; • Applying cutting-edge informatics and big data through the FIND FH® program to identify and reach the 90% of undiagnosed FH individuals; • Hosting an annual FH Global Summit™ for scientists, physicians, thought leaders and key stakeholders to share insights and best practices; • Advancing optimum clinical care of FH through healthcare provider educational programs; • Applying for and securing ICD-10 Codes for FH; • Advocating for and shaping policies that impact the care of FH; and • Authoring 25 peer-reviewed publications.