Heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia

Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia (HFH) is a genetic disorder characterized by high cholesterol levels, specifically very high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), in the blood and early cardiovascular disease.

Pronunciation

Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia is pronounced as het-er-o-zy-gous fa-mil-ial hy-per-ko-les-ter-ol-e-mia.

Etymology

The term "Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia" is derived from the following roots:

• Heterozygous: From the Greek words "heteros" meaning different and "zygon" meaning yoke.
• Familial: From the Latin word "familia" meaning family, used in medicine to denote a hereditary condition.
• Hypercholesterolemia: From the Greek words "hyper" meaning over or above, "chole" meaning bile, "stereos" meaning solid, and "haima" meaning blood.

Related Terms

• Hyperlipidemia: A condition where there are high levels of fats (lipids) in the blood.
• Atherosclerosis: A disease in which plaque builds up inside your arteries.
• Coronary Artery Disease: A disease that occurs when the coronary arteries become hardened and narrowed.
• Myocardial Infarction: Commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to a part of the heart.

See Also

• Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia: A more severe form of the disease.

References

• National Institute of Health
• American Heart Association

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