Cholesterol is a fat-like substance found in every cell in your body. There are two main types:
LDL (or “bad cholesterol”) can clog your arteries and prevent blood from flowing to and from your heart.
HDL (or “good cholesterol”) removes excess cholesterol from your blood.
Too much LDL can cause coronary heart disease, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
Unhealthy diet
Being overweight
Smoking and drinking
Your genetics
If you have FH, your liver is unable to remove enough LDL, or bad cholesterol, from your blood. This means your LDL level remains high, despite positive lifestyle choices.
Having FH means you’re exposed to high cholesterol from an early age, which make you 22 times more likely to develop coronary heart disease than are those with normal cholesterol and no FH.
Your healthcare provider might recommend medication to remove some of the bad cholesterol from your body, along with changes to your diet and lifestyle to protect your heart.
Your results can be informative for your relatives of either gender. If you have FH, there’s a 50% chance that each of your children, siblings, and parents will also have FH. Early identification and treatment can help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.
Color’s Hereditary High Cholesterol Test analyzes 3 genes currently known to cause most FH cases and can increase your risk for coronary heart disease.
Learn about the genes analyzed:*
Most people (though not all) with FH have high cholesterol.
If a relative carries a genetic mutation that causes FH and your results indicate that you don’t have the same mutation, you can be confident that you didn’t inherit it. Healthcare providers refer to this result as a "true negative," because it indicates that you haven’t inherited the same mutation that is associated with FH in your relatives.
Even if your relatives don’t have an identified mutation, testing negative for mutations on Color's Hereditary High Cholesterol Test may indicate that you have a reduced chance of having a hereditary predisposition to high cholesterol.
We recommend that you investigate your family history to learn if anyone has FH or has had genetic testing for FH.
Speak with Color’s board-certified genetic counselor
Talk with a genetic counselor to discuss what having FH means for you and your loved ones. They can provide suggestions on how to discuss FH with your healthcare provider and family.
Share results with your healthcare provider
FH can be managed successfully. Your healthcare providers can help you develop the most appropriate treatment plan for managing FH and reducing your cholesterol levels.
Consider sharing results with your family
If you have FH, there’s a 50% chance that your children, siblings, and parents also have it. Discussing FH with your family can help them identify their own risks sooner and take action, if appropriate.
The FH Foundation
The FH Foundation is a patient-centered non-profit dedicated to research, advocacy, and education of all forms of FH.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Provides leadership for a research, training and education program to promote the prevention and treatment of heart, lung, and blood diseases.
American Heart Association
Focused on building healthier lives free of heart disease by promoting heart healthy lifestyle choices, providing accessible education, and funding innovative research.