A novel approach to screening for familial hypercholesterolemia in a large public venue

Abstract

The primary aim of this study was to test the feasibility of a public health screening program to identify individuals at high risk of familial hypercholesterolemia through a novel screening approach at a large public venue. A finger-prick, non-fasting lipid panel was obtained, and a survey which consisted of 44 open- and close-ended questions divided into four sections: medical and family history of FH, opinions of cascade genetic testing, patient activation, and demographics was completed. A total of 971 participants met criteria and completed a cholesterol screen. In total, five individuals met either the Simon Broome Register or the Dutch Lipid Clinic Network criteria for possible familial hypercholesterolemia. Participants were generally positive towards genetic testing, and the vast majority listed they had no barriers to communication of genetic testing information to family members. However, the most common barrier listed was lack of communication skills. Our results suggest that a public health screening program for FH is viable at a large public venue. We argue that further research is needed to expand this study to a fully operational screening program.