18 year old Abodh is on treatment for his abnormal lipid profile blood tests. All of the following statements are true about familial hypercholesterolemia, except
High-Yield Explanation
Patients with homozygous FH present in childhood with cutaneous xanthomas on the hands, wrists, elbows, knees, heels. Total cholesterol levels can be higher than 1000 mg/dL. The devastating complication of homozygous FH is accelerated atherosclerosis, which can result in disability and death in childhood. Patients with receptor-defective LDL receptor defects have a better prognosis but almost invariably develop clinically apparent atherosclerotic vascular disease by age 30, and often much sooner. Ref: Harrisons Principles of Internal Medicine, 18th Edition, Page 3149