September is National Cholesterol Education Month, and that makes it the perfect time to shine a light on cholesterol management in America. Family Heart Foundation research shows that 70% of Americans at high-risk for cardiovascular disease never get their LDL (“bad”) cholesterol to recommended … Read More →
Madi always knew high cholesterol ran in her family, but she assumed everyone had it under control. That’s why one day in 2016 caught her so off guard. She was just 23 years old, but she knew she was having a heart attack.
“It kind of happened out of nowhere,” says Madi. “I had no symptoms … Read More →
The mission of the Family Heart Foundation is to save generations of families from heart disease through timely identification and improved care of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and elevated lipoprotein(a), also knowns as Lp(a).
One way you can join in this mission is by raising awareness … Read More →
“I think the hardest part of my story is that I didn’t know anything. I’m still coming to grips with that.”
Laurence grew up in Ireland and came to the US in the early 1990s. He always considered himself a very healthy person with an allergy problem. “I look after my health, I do all my … Read More →
I’m not sure where this story starts. When I ask myself, what’s life been like since my mom’s heart attack, I have to ask, which one?
Does the story start with the heart attack she didn’t know she had? Does it start with the one she nearly didn’t survive? Does it start with her emergency … Read More →
He worked hard to outrun FH
This is my first Father’s Day without my dad, Tom Davis, and I miss him.
He was 82 when he died December 7, 2022. It was only five months after my mom, Judy, passed away. Like so many of the families I have worked with at the Family Heart Foundation over the past 10 years, … Read More →
After you’ve lost your mom, Mother’s Day is complicated. Sadness and “what if’s” mix with gratitude and “I remember when’s.” My heart swells with love for the woman I was fortunate enough to call “Mom.” And even though I talk about her in the past tense, my swollen heart still … Read More →
For six years the Family Heart Foundation community has taken on the challenge of raising awareness and funds in our Race to Save More Hearts. The name has changed over those years, but the passion of the participants has always been awe-inspiring.
People with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), homozygous … Read More →
Jenny’s Lp(a) Story
I thought it was a panic attack. In fairness, I was only 41. A nonsmoker. A longtime vegetarian with good cholesterol numbers. As physically active as I could be while working a full-time job and wrangling a toddler.
But what happened in October 2019 wasn’t a panic attack. It … Read More →
A Response to the US Preventive Service Task Force
On January 24, 2023, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released their draft recommendation based on evidence of the benefits and harms of screening for lipid disorders, including familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), in children and … Read More →
