The FH Foundation Celebrates One-Year Of Raising Awareness of Familial Hypercholesterolemia

PRLog (Press Release) - Jan. 18, 2013 - SOUTH PASADENA, CA -- The FH Foundation (http://www.thefhfoundation.org/about-us/) celebrated their 1st Anniversary on December 16, 2012. During this inaugural year, the Foundation has made great strides in raising awareness of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) in the public health sector and among the general public.

Highlights include:

Creating a Board of Directors containing both individuals with FH and clinicians.
Creation of a Scientific Advisory Board comprised of top lipidologists in the U.S.
Launch of the FH Foundation website as a resource for patients and health professionals.
Partnered with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to address FH and the urgent need for change.
Testified at an FDA hearing regarding the need for new FH treatment (http://www.thefhfoundation.org/learn/#what-can-i-do) options. Since that time, the FDA has recommended approval of two new drugs.
Board member presentations at medical conferences around the U.S.
The First National FH Awareness Day took place on September 20, 2012, reaching over 3 million people.

"We are thrilled with the progress the FH Foundation has made in just one year. It's been a busy but incredibly rewarding year. Proper treatment of FH is critical to patients’ long-term health, but the problem is there are so many people who have FH and aren’t aware. Without treatment, it can be deadly. Through the Foundation we’re bringing FH into focus. At the same time we're pushing for new treatment options and educating the medical community," explained Katherine Wilemon, President of The FH Foundation.

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a common, hereditary genetic condition (http://www.thefhfoundation.org/) that affects the body's ability to remove LDL, or harmful cholesterol, from the bloodstream. Patients experience extremely high levels of LDL and without proper treatment can suffer from early heart attacks and strokes. FH can be diagnosed through an examination of the family history and a simple blood test. It is estimated that over half a million people in the U.S. have FH and are unaware. Part of the FH Foundation's mission is to raise enough awareness of the disorder so that screening for FH becomes more common and treatment begins early in life for those affected.

In 2013, the Foundation has plans for expanding their reach even further with the launch of the Patient Advocate Program and a Familial Hypercholesterolemia (http://www.thefhfoundation.org/learn/) Grand Rounds Program. Anyone interested in taking part in these educational programs is encouraged to contact the Foundation at info@theFHfoundation.org.

"We've laid a strong foundation for growth and are already making plans to build further. The educational programs and speaking opportunities are going to be fantastic vehicles for getting the word out. We had such success in our first year.  This year promises to be an important one for everyone affected by FH," said Wilemon.

The Foundation is always interested in hearing from medical professionals and individuals who are affected by FH. For more information visit: www.theFHfoundation.org.

About The FH Foundation: The mission of the FH Foundation is to raise awareness of FH (familial hypercholesterolemia) through education, advocacy, and research. Our goal is to save lives by increasing the rate of early diagnosis and encouraging proactive treatment. If left untreated, this life-threatening genetic disorder leads to aggressive cardiovascular disease in men, women, and children.

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