Publications by authors named "D Meeike Kusters"

Background: Homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (HoFH) is a rare genetic disease characterised by extremely high plasma LDL cholesterol from birth, causing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease at a young age. Lipoprotein apheresis in combination with lipid-lowering drugs effectively reduce LDL cholesterol, but long-term health outcomes of such treatment are unknown. We aimed to investigate the long-term cardiovascular outcomes associated with lipoprotein apheresis initiated in childhood or adolescence.

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Article Synopsis
  • Homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia is a serious genetic disease that makes cholesterol levels super high, which can lead to heart problems very early in life.
  • It's really important to start treating it right away, but many kids still can't reach their cholesterol goals even with medicine and diet.
  • Lipoprotein apheresis is a special treatment that can reduce bad cholesterol by over 70%, and experts from around the world have created guidelines on how to use it for kids with this condition.
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Introduction: Heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) is a common genetic disorder caused by pathogenic variants in the LDL-C metabolism. Lifelong exposure to elevated LDL-C levels leads to a high risk of premature cardiovascular disease. To reduce that risk, children with HeFH should be identified and treated with lipid-lowering therapy.

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