More than 100,000 Britons do not know they have inherited high cholesterol levels that can trigger heart attacks in their 30s, leading doctors warn.
They say many lives could be saved if people were routinely tested for the condition, known as familial hyper-cholesterolaemia (FH).
Up to one in 500 people have this genetic disorder, which means they cannot properly clear cholesterol from their blood.
Heart attack: A paramedic applies defibrillator paddles
Cholesterol begins to build up in their artery walls during childhood and this can restrict the flow of blood to the heart, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Up to half of men with the condition will have developed heart disease by the time they reach the age of 55 and a third of all women by the time they are 60.
A report by the Royal College of Physicians says children and young adults whose relatives have the disorder should undergo routine genetic tests.
Those diagnosed with FH could be put on a healthy diet and encouraged to take regular exercise to lower their cholesterol, thereby reducing the risk of life-threatening illnesses.
If they are unable to lower their cholesterol levels through lifestyle changes they could be prescribed statins.
Research: The British Heart Foundation funded the study
Many of those diagnosed go to ‘lipid clinics’ in hospital outpatient departments where they are seen by specialist nurses, dieticians and consultants.
The report warns that as many as 120,000 people in Britain have the disorder but more than 85 per cent are unaware.
Early diagnosis is crucial because it can save lives, prevent disease and drastically reduce NHS spending on treating those with heart problems, it adds.
The report looked at 122 hospitals across the country and concluded that there is a ‘major lack’ of genetic screening for family members.
It found that only a quarter of hospitals have services available to treat children with FH, although they are usually of a ‘good standard’.
Professor Steve Humphries, director of the centre for cardiovascular genetics at British Heart Foundation laboratories, who wrote the report, said: ‘Although the audit shows that, once identified, patients with FH are being quite well treated in NHS lipid clinics, the lack of commissioned DNA testing and resources for tracing relatives mean that many FH patients remain undiagnosed.’
He added: ‘In the UK I estimate that roughly one undiagnosed FH patient a day suffers a coronary event that could be prevented if funding for these cost-effective measures were available.’
Professor Peter Weissberg, medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said: ‘It’s frustrating and unacceptable that families at risk of FH aren’t receiving the help and attention they deserve from the health service.
‘UK researchers have been “on the trail” of FH for many years.
‘They’ve tracked down many of the culprit genes, developed tests for them, and gathered robust evidence to prove that screening and treatment is effective.
‘They’ve 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.
‘It’s long overdue that FH services come up to scratch to stop lives across the UK being needlessly lost.’
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